JQuery sortable table rows are overflowing their container while moving

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Summary

When implementing jQuery UI Sortable on table rows within a Bootstrap container, the dragged row (ui-sortable-helper) horizontally overflows its responsive wrapper during drag operations. This occurs when the table’s width exceeds the viewport. Though sorting works functionally, visual overflow compromises UI integrity during drag interactions.

Root Cause

  • .table-responsive in Bootstrap uses overflow-x: auto internally, which clips overflowing content except for absolutely positioned elements.
  • jQuery Sortable’s helper element (ui-sortable-helper) uses position: absolute during dragging, exempting it from the container’s overflow clipping.
  • The .inherit-width td { width: inherit; } CSS rule fails to constrain the helper row’s width because:
    • width: inherit inherits from the <table> parent (which exceeds the container).
    • Tables inherently expand to fit content due to white-space: nowrap.

Why This Happens in Real Systems

  • Conflicting Layout Models: Combining dynamic drag-and-drop libraries (溢出 layout) with responsive frameworks necessitates careful CSS coordination.
  • Absolute Positioning Pitfalls: Many drag/drop libraries use absolute positioning during interactions, bypassing parent overflow constraints.
  • CSS Inheritance Nuances: Inheriting widths from unconstrained parents (e.g., <table>) yields unexpected results in absolute-positioned children.
  • Responsive Design Edge Cases: Issues manifest only at constrained viewports, making them easy to miss during development on larger screens.

Real-World Impact

  • UX Degradation: Users see confounding visual overflow during drag interactions.
  • Mobile Usability Issues: Aggravated on smaller screens where tables commonly overflow horizontally.
  • Trust Erosion: Makes the interface appear broken/unpolished.

Example or Code

.ui-sortable-helper {
  width: 100vw !important;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}
.ui-sortable-helper td {
  max-width: calc(100vw - 32px); /* Adjust offset as needed */
  white-space: normal; 
}

How Senior Engineers Fix It

  1. Constrain Absolute-Positioned Helpers: Set width: 100vw on the helper to tether width to the viewport—not the table.
  2. Enforce Box-Sizing: Apply box-sizing: border-box to prevent padding/borders from exceeding 100vw.
  3. Override Cell-Level Styles: Explicitly set max-width on helper <td>s with calc() to accommodate margins/padding.
  4. Temporarily Lift white-space: Use white-space: normal only during dragging to allow text wrapping when necessary.
  5. Dynamic Adjustment: Use JavaScript to set the helper’s width to match the .table-responsive container’s clientWidth for precision.

Why Juniors Miss It