Shadcn Infinite Scroll Viewport

7 min read Oct 14, 2024
Shadcn Infinite Scroll Viewport

Mastering Infinite Scroll with Shadcn's viewport Package

Building websites that can handle large amounts of data often requires implementing infinite scrolling, a technique that progressively loads content as the user scrolls down the page. This approach provides a seamless experience for users, preventing them from having to wait for the entire page to load at once. While implementing infinite scrolling can seem daunting, Shadcn's viewport package makes the process incredibly straightforward.

What is Shadcn's viewport Package?

Shadcn is a collection of open-source libraries and tools designed to streamline web development. The viewport package, specifically, offers a user-friendly way to implement infinite scrolling using the useInView hook. This hook provides a simple mechanism to detect when an element, like a loading indicator, enters the user's viewport.

Why Use Shadcn's viewport Package?

Here's why Shadcn's viewport package is the ideal choice for your infinite scrolling needs:

  • Simplicity: The useInView hook offers a clean and straightforward API, making it easy to set up and manage your infinite scrolling functionality.
  • Flexibility: You can customize the behavior of the viewport hook to suit your specific requirements, like triggering loading behavior when the element reaches a specific percentage of the viewport.
  • Performance: Shadcn's viewport package is designed with performance in mind, ensuring smooth scrolling experiences without unnecessary overhead.

Implementing Infinite Scroll with Shadcn's viewport

Let's illustrate how to use viewport to implement infinite scrolling in your application. This example assumes you're using Next.js, but the principles can be applied to other frameworks like React.

1. Install the viewport Package

First, you'll need to install the viewport package.

npm install @shadcn/ui @shadcn/ui/viewport

2. Create a Component for Your Loading Indicator

You'll need a component to represent your loading indicator.

'use client'
import { Skeleton } from '@shadcn/ui'

const LoadingIndicator = () => {
  return (
    
); };

3. Use the useInView Hook

Let's integrate the loading indicator and use the useInView hook to manage our infinite scrolling logic:

'use client'
import { useInView } from '@shadcn/ui/viewport';
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import LoadingIndicator from './LoadingIndicator'; 

const InfiniteScrollComponent = () => {
  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
  const [items, setItems] = useState([]);
  const [page, setPage] = useState(1);
  const [hasMore, setHasMore] = useState(true); 

  const { ref, inView } = useInView({
    threshold: 0.5, // Trigger loading when the loading indicator is 50% in view
  });

  useEffect(() => {
    if (inView && hasMore) {
      setIsLoading(true);
      fetchMoreItems();
    }
  }, [inView, hasMore]);

  const fetchMoreItems = async () => {
    // Fetch data from your API, handling pagination
    try {
      const response = await fetch(`/api/data?page=${page}`);
      const newItems = await response.json();
      if (newItems.length === 0) {
        setHasMore(false);
      } else {
        setItems([...items, ...newItems]);
        setPage(page + 1);
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error fetching data:', error);
    } finally {
      setIsLoading(false);
    }
  };

  return (
    
{/* Display your fetched items */} {items.map((item) => (
{item.content}
))} {/* Display loading indicator when more items are being fetched */} {isLoading && } {/* Add ref to the loading indicator */}
); }; export default InfiniteScrollComponent;

Explanation:

  • isLoading state: Tracks whether data is being fetched.
  • items state: Holds the fetched data.
  • page state: Tracks the current page for pagination.
  • hasMore state: Indicates if there are more items to be fetched.
  • useInView: The useInView hook is used to monitor the visibility of the loading indicator. The threshold property determines when the loading indicator should trigger the fetch.
  • useEffect: A useEffect hook observes changes in the inView state. When the loading indicator enters the viewport (is inView) and there are more items to fetch (hasMore), the fetchMoreItems function is called.
  • fetchMoreItems function: This function fetches data from your API using the current page value. If no new items are fetched, the hasMore state is set to false to prevent further requests.
  • Ref and Loading Indicator: The ref from useInView is attached to the LoadingIndicator element, allowing useInView to monitor its visibility.

4. Integrating into your application

Finally, you'll need to integrate your InfiniteScrollComponent into your application. You might place it inside another component that manages the overall structure.

Conclusion

By leveraging Shadcn's viewport package, you can seamlessly implement infinite scrolling in your applications. The useInView hook provides a streamlined approach, simplifying the process and enhancing the user experience. This method makes handling large datasets a breeze, allowing your users to effortlessly explore content without waiting for everything to load upfront.