numCols

numCols is a variable name commonly used in user interface code to denote the number of columns in a grid or grid-like layout. It is not a formal language feature, but a convention adopted by developers in component APIs and configuration objects to control how many columns are displayed in a single row.

In many UI libraries and frameworks, numCols is a numeric property or option that determines the grid's column count. Setting numCols to 3 typically renders three columns per row, with additional items wrapping to subsequent rows as needed. The value is usually constrained to positive integers and may be augmented with responsive variants to adjust the column count at different screen sizes or breakpoints.

In practice, numCols often maps to underlying grid behavior. For example, in component-based systems, you might pass numCols to a grid component to control item layout, while CSS-based grid implementations would express a similar concept via grid-template-columns or a responsive repeat pattern. Some libraries provide responsive variants (such as different values for small, medium, or large screens) to maintain usability across devices.

Considerations when using numCols include ensuring valid input (positive integers), anticipating how wrapping behaves as content changes, and being mindful of readability and accessibility when column counts become very high or very low. Related concepts include grid, columns, and responsive design, as well as alternative layout strategies that rely on explicit column templates rather than a single numeric count.