tanstack-vue-virtual-skilld

TanStack/virtual @tanstack/vue-virtual

Headless UI for virtualizing scrollable elements in Vue

Version: 3.13.23 Deps: @tanstack/virtual-core@3.13.23 Tags: beta: 3.0.0-beta.68, latest: 3.13.23

References: Docs — API reference, guides • GitHub Issues — bugs, workarounds, edge cases • GitHub Discussions — Q&A, patterns, recipes • Releases — changelog, breaking changes, new APIs

API Changes

This section documents version-specific API changes — prioritize recent major/minor releases.

• BREAKING: useVirtualizer — replaces useVirtual in v3 migration; older positional arguments or v2 option names are no longer supported source

• BREAKING: Ref<Virtualizer> return type — v3 useVirtualizer returns a Vue Ref instead of a raw object; instance methods must be accessed via .value (e.g., rowVirtualizer.value.getVirtualItems())

• BREAKING: count — replaces size option in v3 migration; using size will result in zero items being virtualized source

• BREAKING: getScrollElement — replaces parentRef option in v3 migration; must be a function that returns the scrollable element or null source

• BREAKING: measureElement — replaces measureRef pattern from v2; you must now pass virtualizer.value.measureElement to the ref attribute and set data-index on the element source

• NEW: getTotalSize() auto-updates — as of v3.13.13, the virtualizer automatically notifies the framework when the count option changes, ensuring getTotalSize() and the UI update correctly without manual workarounds for filtering or search source

• NEW: lanes — new in v3; allows dividing the list into multiple columns (vertical) or rows (horizontal) to support grid-like or masonry layouts source

• NEW: gap — new in v3; specifies the spacing between items in pixels, removing the need for manual margin or padding calculations source

• NEW: useWindowVirtualizer — specialized adapter for window-based scrolling; simplifies configuration when the browser window is the scroll container source

• NEW: scrollMargin — allows specifying the offset between the scroll container's start and the beginning of the virtualized list; essential for lists preceded by headers source

• NEW: isRtl — built-in support for right-to-left language locales; inverts horizontal scrolling logic when enabled source

• NEW: useScrollendEvent — utilizes the native scrollend event where available to reset isScrolling state, falling back to a debounced timer if disabled source

• NEW: shouldAdjustScrollPositionOnItemSizeChange — provides fine-grained control over scroll position adjustments when dynamic items differ from their estimated size source

• NEW: useAnimationFrameWithResizeObserver — added in v3.13.x; defers ResizeObserver measurement processing to the next animation frame to batch DOM mutations source

Also changed: isScrollingResetDelay new in v3 · rangeExtractor now receives Range object · VirtualItem adds lane property · resizeItem method for manual size overrides · enabled option to pause observers

Best Practices

• Account for scrollMargin in absolute positioning — when using a shared scroll container with static headers, subtract the margin from the item's start position to maintain correct layout source

<script setup>
const rowVirtualizer = useVirtualizer({
  count: 1000,
  scrollMargin: 100, // Height of header
  // ...
})
</script>

<template>
  <div v-for="item in rowVirtualizer.getVirtualItems()" :key="item.key"
    :style="{
      transform: `translateY(${item.start - rowVirtualizer.options.scrollMargin}px)`
    }"
  >
    {{ item.index }}
  </div>
</template>

• Overestimate estimateSize for dynamic elements — providing a "maximum likely" size prevents the scrollbar from jumping and items from "resetting" their position when scrolling upwards into unmeasured territory source

• Implement shouldAdjustScrollPositionOnItemSizeChange for chat/messaging UIs — use this callback to control scroll adjustments when prepending items, preventing visual jumps as new elements are measured source

• Attach data-index when using measureElement — the virtualizer requires this attribute on the measured DOM element to correctly map the size back to the item's internal state source

<div
  v-for="item in virtualizer.getVirtualItems()"
  :key="item.key"
  :data-index="item.index"
  :ref="virtualizer.measureElement"
>
  {{ item.index }}
</div>

• Pass configuration via computed or Ref — the Vue adapter's useVirtualizer watch-triggers setOptions automatically, allowing the instance to reactively update count or overscan without manual re-instantiation

• Avoid useAnimationFrameWithResizeObserver for performance — native ResizeObserver is already batched; enabling this adds a ~16ms delay that can cause visual flickering or stale measurements during fast scrolls source

• Provide a stable getItemKey for persistent state — using a unique identifier (like a database ID) instead of the default index ensures that item state (focus, internal refs) is preserved during reorders or filtering source

• Wrap initial scrollToIndex in requestAnimationFrame — for "scroll-to-bottom" initialization (e.g. chat), deferring the scroll ensures the DOM is rendered and initial measurements are processed by the virtualizer source

• Use built-in gap over manual CSS margins — the gap option ensures the virtualizer accounts for item spacing in its internal getTotalSize() calculation, which manual margins do not source

• Pause observers with enabled: false — instead of unmounting the virtualizer, toggle the enabled option to pause monitoring (e.g., when a tab is hidden). This preserves existing measurements while saving CPU cycles source