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Check if an element is scrollable

Written byPhuoc Nguyen
Created
27 Feb, 2020
Category
Level 2 — Intermediate
The following function returns `true` if the `ele` element is scrollable.
js
const isScrollable = function (ele) {
// Compare the height to see if the element has scrollable content
const hasScrollableContent = ele.scrollHeight > ele.clientHeight;

// It's not enough because the element's `overflow-y` style can be set as
// * `hidden`
// * `hidden !important`
// In those cases, the scrollbar isn't shown
const overflowYStyle = window.getComputedStyle(ele).overflowY;
const isOverflowHidden = overflowYStyle.indexOf('hidden') !== -1;

return hasScrollableContent && !isOverflowHidden;
};

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