Why Does `flex-direction: column-reverse` Cause Scrolling Issues in Firefox, Edge, and IE?

Flexbox column-reverse's Scrolling Issue in Firefox, Edge, and IE

When attempting to create a responsive application where a list of divs is displayed with an upward scroll on larger screens and a downward scroll with reversed order on smaller screens, using the flexbox property 'column-reverse' seemed like an ideal solution. However, it led to a peculiar issue in browsers other than Chrome.

HTML Structure and CSS Styling

The HTML consisted of a 'list' div containing a series of 'item' divs. The CSS assigned 'display: flex' and 'flex-direction: column-reverse' to the 'list' div, ensuring the items were stacked vertically and reversed. A height and 'overflow-y' property enabled vertical scrolling, and borders were added for visual clarity.

Cross-Browser Scrolling Behavior

In Chrome, the 'list' div displayed a functional scrollbar, allowing users to scroll up to view previous items. However, in Firefox, Edge, and IE11, the scrollbar appeared but remained disabled, preventing scrolling.

Bug Explanation

Investigation revealed that this behavior is a bug in Firefox, Edge, and IE11. When using 'flex-direction: column-reverse' and 'overflow-y: auto', the scrollbar is absent.

Solution

If the 'column' property is used instead of 'column-reverse,' the scrollbar becomes functional in all browsers. The 'justify-content: flex-end' property is also necessary to align the items at the bottom of the 'list' div for proper downward scrolling.

Additional Information

More details on this issue can be found in the following resources:

• Bug 1042151 - flex-direction: column-reverse (or "flex-direction:column; justify-content:flex-end") with overflow-y: auto is not scrollable
• Philip Walton / flexbugs - Column-reverse and overflow-y not scrollable

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