Resolving the issue of non-scrollable lists in mobile dropdowns

There are times when dropdown lists in mobile devices are not scrollable. This issue can be influenced by the user's experience and can cause users to struggle to access all items available in the dropdown list. Fortunately, there are methods that can resolve this issue by utilizing CSS and JavaScript. In this article, we will discuss how to solve this problem.

First of all, we need to ensure that there are proper CSS settings defined for the dropdown list. Usually, using the feature overflow: auto; and max-height can help address the issue. These features should be applied to the container housing the list items.

In addition to CSS settings, there are times when it is also necessary to use JavaScript to dynamically size the list corresponding to the user's display page. This ensures that the dropdown list operates effectively across all devices and remains scrollable.

To begin, let's take a look at a simple example of CSS and HTML code to define a scrollable dropdown list. In this example, our focus will be on adding scrolling to the mobile dropdown list. Subsequently, we will review some parameters using JavaScript to ensure the list maintains a responsive state.

Keep in mind that this code should be tested for various browsers and devices to ensure proper functionality while respecting the diversity in user behaviors across different platforms.

<style>
  .dropdown {
    position: relative;
    display: inline-block;
  }

  .dropdown-content {
    display: none;
    position: absolute;
    background-color: #f9f9f9;
    min-width: 160px;
    max-height: 200px;
    overflow-y: auto;
    box-shadow: 0px 8px 16px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
    z-index: 1;
  }

  .dropdown:hover .dropdown-content {
    display: block;
  }
</style>

<div class="dropdown">
  <button>dropdown</button>
  <div class="dropdown-content">
    <a href="#">Item 1</a>
    <a href="#">Item 2</a>
    <a href="#">Item 3</a>
    <a href="#">Item 4</a>
    <a href="#">Item 5</a>
  </div>
</div>
<script>
  // Using JavaScript to ensure dropdown functionality on touch devices
  document.querySelectorAll('.dropdown').forEach(function(dropDownWrapper) {
    dropDownWrapper.addEventListener('touchstart', function() {
      this.querySelector('.dropdown-content').style.display = 'block';
    });
    dropDownWrapper.addEventListener('touchend', function() {
      this.querySelector('.dropdown-content').style.display = 'none';
    });
  });
</script>

Here, I will explain that the code being executed: