Overview.bs

<pre class='metadata'>
Title: CSS Overscroll Behavior Module Level 1
Shortname: css-overscroll-behavior
Level: 1
Status: ED
Work Status: Exploring
Group: CSSWG
URL: https://drafts.csswg.org/css-overscroll-behavior-1/
Editor: Benoit Girard, Facebook, bgirard@fb.com
Editor: Majid Valipour, Google, majidvp@google.com, w3cid 81464

Abstract: This module defines 'overscroll-behavior' to control the behavior when the scroll position of a <a>scroll container</a> reaches the edge of the <a>scrollport</a>.
Abstract: This allows content authors to hint that the <a>boundary default actions</a>,
Abstract: such as scroll chaining and overscroll, should not be triggered.
</pre>

<pre class='anchors'>
urlPrefix: https://www.w3.org/TR/css-display-3/
    type: dfn; text: containing block chain
url: https://drafts.csswg.org/css-overflow-3/#scroll-container
    type: dfn; text: scroll container
    type: dfn; text: scroll containers
url: https://www.w3.org/TR/uievents/#default-action
    type: dfn; text: default action
    type: dfn; text: default actions
url: https://dom.spec.whatwg.org/#dom-event-preventdefault
    type: dfn; text: preventDefault
url: https://dom.spec.whatwg.org/#dom-eventtarget-addeventlistener
    type: dfn; text: passive flag

</pre>

Introduction {#intro}
=====================

<em>This section is not normative.</em>

A content author does not necessarily want <a>scroll chaining</a> to occur for all <a>scroll
containers</a>. Some <a>scroll containers</a> may be part of a <a>containing block chain</a> but may
serve a different logical purpose in the document and may want to prevent scrolling from continuing
up the <a>scroll chain</a>. To achieve this, a content author will install event listeners without
the <a>passive flag</a> set and will use <a>preventDefault</a> when there is a risk that scroll
chaining will occur. This is detrimental for the following reasons:

* The user agent may in the future introduce new input methods for scrolling that are not supported
    by the content author's event listeners.
* A non passive event listener will delay scrolling because the user agent will have to wait for the
    result of the event listener to determine if <a>preventDefault</a> was called causing increased
    scroll latency.
* When scrolling is performed near the edge of the <a>scroll boundary</a>, the <a>default action</a>
    may cause both scrolling to the edge of the <a>scroll container</a> and a <a>boundary default
    action</a>. Calling <a>preventDefault</a> will not only cancel the <a>boundary default action</a>
    but also the scroll to the edge of the <a>scrollport</a>.
* The <a>default action</a> for the event may also provide additional behavior that the author does
    not want to cancel such as an overscroll affordance. <a>preventDefault</a> doesn't allow the
    content author to cancel only some of the <a>default actions</a> such as scroll chaining.

Thus, it is not possible for a content author to control <a>scroll chaining</a> and overscroll in a
robust, performant and forward compatible way. The 'overscroll-behavior' property fixes this
shortcoming.


Motivating Examples {#motivating-examples}
=================


<div class=example>
A position fixed left navigation bar does not want to hand off scrolling to the document because a
scroll gesture performed on the navigation bar is almost never meant to scroll the document. Note
that using the native overscroll affordances are still desirable while scroll chaining is to be
prevented.

  <pre class="lang-css">
  #sidebar {
    overscroll-behavior: contain;
  }
  </pre>

In this case, the author can use <a value for=overscroll-behavior>contain</a> on the sidebar to
prevent scrolling from being chained to the parent document element.
</div>

<div class=example>
A page wants to implement their own pull-to-refresh effect and thus needs to disable browser
native overscroll action.

  <pre class="lang-css">
  html {
    /* only disable pull-to-refresh but allow swipe navigations */
    overscroll-behavior-y: contain;
  }
  </pre>

In this case, the author can use <a value for=overscroll-behavior>contain</a> on the viewport
defining element to prevent overscroll from triggering navigation actions.
</div>

<div class=example>
A infinite scrollers loads more content as user reaches the boundary and thus wants to disable the
potentially confusing rubber banding effect in addition to scroll chaining.

  <pre class="lang-css">
  #infinite_scroller {
    overscroll-behavior-y: none;
  }
  </pre>

In this case the the author can use <a value for=overscroll-behavior>none</a> on the infinite
scroller to prevent both scroll chaining and overscroll affordance.
</div>

Scroll chaining and boundary default actions {#scroll-chaining-and-boundary-default-actions}
==========================

<em>Operating Systems have rules for scrolling such as scroll chaining and overscroll affordances.
This specification does not mandate if and how scroll chaining or overscroll affordances be
implemented. This specification only allows the content author to disable them if any are
implemented.</em>

<dfn>Scroll chaining</dfn> is when scrolling is propagated from one <a>scroll container</a> to an
ancestor <a>scroll container</a> following the <a>scroll chain</a>. Typically scroll chaining is
performed starting at the event target recursing up the <a>containing block chain</a>. When a
<a>scroll container</a> in this chain receives a scroll event or gesture it may act on it and/or
pass it up the chain. Chaining typically occurs when the <a>scrollport</a> has reached its boundary.

A <dfn>scroll chain</dfn> is the order in which scrolling is propagated from one <a>scroll
container</a> to another.

<dfn>Scroll boundary</dfn> refers to when the scroll position of a <a>scroll container</a> reaches
the edge of the <a>scrollport</a>. If a scroll container has no potential to scroll, because it does
not <a>overflow</a> in the direction of the scroll, the element is always considered to be at the
scroll boundary.

<dfn>Boundary default action</dfn> refers to the user-agent-defined <a>default action</a> performed
when scrolling against the edge of the <a>scrollport</a>. A <dfn>local boundary default action</dfn>
is a <a>boundary default action</a> which is performed on the <a>scroll container</a> without
interacting with the page, for example displaying a overscroll UI affordance. Conversely, a <dfn
>non-local boundary default action</dfn> interacts with the page, for example scroll chaining or a
navigation action.

Overview {#overview}
==========================

This module introduces control over the behavior of a <a>scroll container</a> element when its
<a>scrollport</a> reaches the boundary of its scroll box. It allows the content author to specify
that a <a>scroll container</a> element must prevent scroll chaining and/or overscroll affordances.

Overscroll Behavior Properties {#overscroll-behavior-properties}
==========================

These properties specify how a <a>scroll container</a> element must behave when scrolling. A element
that is not <a>scroll container</a> must accept but ignore the values of this property. This
property must be applied to all input methods supported by the user agent.

Note: This property should provide guarantees that are, at least, as strong as <a>preventDefault</a>
for preventing both scroll chaining and overscroll. Doing otherwise would cause content authors to
use <a>preventDefault</a> instead.

<pre class=propdef>
Name: overscroll-behavior-x, overscroll-behavior-y
Value: contain | none | auto
Initial: auto
Applies to: <a>scroll container</a> elements
Inherited: no
Percentages: N/A
Media: visual
Computed value: as specified
Animatable: no
Canonical order: <abbr title="follows order of property value definition">per grammar</abbr>
</pre>

The 'overscroll-behavior-x' property specifies the behavior of the 'overscroll-behavior'
in the horizontal direction and the 'overscroll-behavior-y' property specifies the handling of
the 'overscroll-behavior' in the vertical direction. When scrolling is performed along both the
horizontal and vertical axes at the same time, the 'overscroll-behavior' of each respective
axis should be considered independently.

<pre class=propdef>
Name: overscroll-behavior
Value: [ contain | none | auto ]{1,2}
Initial: auto auto
Applies to: <a>scroll container</a> elements
Inherited: no
Media: visual
Computed value: see individual properties
Animatable: no
Canonical order: <abbr title="follows order of property value definition">per grammar</abbr>
</pre>

The two values specify the behavior in the horizontal and vertical direction, respectively. If only one value is specified, the second value defaults to the same value.

Values have the following meanings:

<dl dfn-for="overscroll-behavior, overscroll-behavior-x, overscroll-behavior-y" dfn-type="value">
  <dt><dfn>contain</dfn>
  <dd>
    This value indicates that the element must not perform <a>non-local boundary default actions</a>
    such as scroll chaining or navigation. The user agent must not perform scroll chaining to any
    ancestors along the <a>scroll chain</a> regardless of whether the scroll originated at this
    element or one of its descendants. This value must not modify the behavior of how <a>local
    boundary default actions</a> should behave, such as overscroll behavior.
  <dt><dfn>none</dfn>
  <dd>
    This value implies the same behavior as <a value for=overscroll-behavior>contain</a> and in
    addition this element must also not perform <a>local boundary default actions</a> such as
    showing any overscroll affordances.
  <dt><dfn>auto</dfn>
  <dd>
    This value indicates that the user agent should perform the usual <a>boundary default action</a>
    with respect to <a>scroll chaining</a>, overscroll and navigation gestures.
</dl>

Note: In the case where a user agent does not implement scroll chaining and overscroll affordances,
these values will have no side effects for a compliant implementation.

Note: Programmatic scrolling is clamped and can not trigger any <a>boundary default actions</a>.



Security and Privacy Considerations {#security-and-privacy}
===================================
There are no known security or privacy impacts of this feature. The feature may be used to prevent
certain native UI features such as overscroll affordances and overscroll navigations (e.g., pull-
to-refresh, swipe navigations). However, this does not expose any additional abilities beyond what
is already possible in the platform e.g., by preventing the default action of the event that would
cause a scroll.