Scrollframes

A scrollframe, also known as a scrolling frame or scrollable panel, is a user interface element that provides a fixed-size viewport to display a portion of a larger content area. It enables the user to view content beyond the visible bounds by scrolling.

Typically, a scrollframe consists of a viewport with clipping, a content container larger than the viewport, and one or more scrollbars or gesture-based controls. The position of the content is offset based on the current scroll position, so the visible area shows only the region aligned to the viewport. The content and viewport are coordinated so that the scroll offset determines what portion of the content is rendered.

Input methods include mouse wheel, dragging the scrollbar, dragging the content area, touch swipes on mobile devices, and keyboard navigation. Scrolling can be vertical, horizontal, or both. Some implementations support inertia or momentum to continue motion after input ends, while others snap to a grid or item boundaries.

Scrollframes are common across GUI toolkits, web browsers, and game engines. Examples include Roblox ScrollingFrame, Unity ScrollRect, and web containers using overflow: auto. In web development, a scrollable container is often achieved by fixing the element’s size and enabling clipping via CSS overflow properties.

Design considerations include choosing appropriate viewport and content sizes, ensuring accessibility through keyboard focus and ARIA labeling, and avoiding nested scrolling conflicts. For large lists, virtualization can improve performance by rendering only visible items. Clear visual cues and consistent scrolling behavior help users understand how to navigate the content within the scrollframe.