gridstack

What is gridstack?

Gridstack is a JavaScript library that helps you create dynamic, responsive, and draggable grid layouts. It is particularly useful for building dashboards, widgets, and other interactive web applications where users can customize the layout by dragging and resizing elements.

What are gridstack's main functionalities?

Draggable Widgets

This feature allows you to add draggable widgets to the grid. The code sample initializes a grid and adds a widget at position (0, 0) with a width and height of 2 units.

const grid = GridStack.init();
grid.addWidget('<div><div class="grid-stack-item-content">Widget 1</div></div>', {x: 0, y: 0, width: 2, height: 2});

Resizable Widgets

This feature allows you to add resizable widgets to the grid. The code sample initializes a grid and adds a resizable widget at position (1, 1) with a width and height of 2 units.

const grid = GridStack.init();
grid.addWidget('<div><div class="grid-stack-item-content">Widget 2</div></div>', {x: 1, y: 1, width: 2, height: 2, resizable: true});

Static Grid

This feature allows you to create a static grid where widgets cannot be dragged or resized. The code sample initializes a static grid and adds a widget at position (2, 2) with a width and height of 2 units.

const grid = GridStack.init({staticGrid: true});
grid.addWidget('<div><div class="grid-stack-item-content">Static Widget</div></div>', {x: 2, y: 2, width: 2, height: 2});

Saving and Loading Layouts

This feature allows you to save the current layout of the grid and load it later. The code sample demonstrates how to save the layout of a grid and then load it into another grid instance.

const grid = GridStack.init();
const layout = grid.save();
// Later, you can load the layout
const grid2 = GridStack.init();
grid2.load(layout);

Other packages similar to gridstack

muuri

Muuri is a JavaScript library for creating responsive, sortable, filterable, and draggable grid layouts. It offers more advanced sorting and filtering options compared to Gridstack but may require more configuration for basic grid functionalities.

packery

Packery is a JavaScript library for creating draggable and resizable grid layouts. It focuses on packing elements in the most efficient way possible, which can be useful for creating masonry-style layouts. However, it lacks some of the built-in features for saving and loading layouts that Gridstack offers.

interactjs

Interact.js is a JavaScript library for drag-and-drop, resizing, and multi-touch gestures. While it is more versatile and can be used for a variety of interactive elements, it requires more custom code to achieve the same grid functionalities that Gridstack provides out of the box.

README

gridstack.js

Mobile-friendly modern Typescript library for dashboard layout and creation. Making a drag-and-drop, multi-column responsive dashboard has never been easier. Has multiple bindings and works great with Angular (included), React, Vue, Knockout.js, Ember and others (see frameworks section).

Inspired by no-longer maintained gridster, built with love.

Check http://gridstackjs.com and these demos.

If you find this lib useful, please donate PayPal (use “send to a friend” to avoid 3% fee) or Venmo (adumesny) and help support it!

Join us on Slack: https://gridstackjs.slack.com

Table of Contents generated with DocToc

• Demo and API Documentation
• Usage
  • Install
  • Include
  • Basic usage
  • Requirements
  • Specific frameworks
  • Extend Library
  • Extend Engine
  • Change grid columns
  • Custom columns CSS (OLD, not needed with v12+)
  • Override resizable/draggable options
  • Touch devices support
• Migrating
  • Migrating to v0.6
  • Migrating to v1
  • Migrating to v2
  • Migrating to v3
  • Migrating to v4
  • Migrating to v5
  • Migrating to v6
  • Migrating to v7
  • Migrating to v8
  • Migrating to v9
  • Migrating to v10
  • Migrating to v11
  • Migrating to v12
• jQuery Application
• Changes
• Usage Trend
• The Team

Demo and API Documentation

Please visit http://gridstackjs.com and these demos, and complete API documentation

Usage

Install

yarn add gridstack
// or
npm install --save gridstack

Include

ES6 or Typescript

import 'gridstack/dist/gridstack.min.css';
import { GridStack } from 'gridstack';

Alternatively (single combined file, notice the -all.js) in html

<link href="node_modules/gridstack/dist/gridstack.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/>
<script src="node_modules/gridstack/dist/gridstack-all.js"></script>

Note: IE support was dropped in v2, but restored in v4.4 by an external contributor (I have no interest in testing+supporting obsolete browser so this likely will break again in the future). You can use the es5 files and polyfill (larger) for older browser instead. For example:

<link href="node_modules/gridstack/dist/gridstack.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/>
<script src="node_modules/gridstack/dist/es5/gridstack-poly.js"></script>
<script src="node_modules/gridstack/dist/es5/gridstack-all.js"></script>

Basic usage

creating items dynamically...

// ...in your HTML
<div class="grid-stack"></div>

// ...in your script
var grid = GridStack.init();
grid.addWidget({w: 2, content: 'item 1'});

... or creating from list

// using serialize data instead of .addWidget()
const serializedData = [
  {x: 0, y: 0, w: 2, h: 2},
  {x: 2, y: 3, w: 3, content: 'item 2'},
  {x: 1, y: 3}
];

grid.load(serializedData);

... or DOM created items

// ...in your HTML
<div class="grid-stack">
  <div class="grid-stack-item">
    <div class="grid-stack-item-content">Item 1</div>
  </div>
  <div class="grid-stack-item" gs-w="2">
    <div class="grid-stack-item-content">Item 2 wider</div>
  </div>
</div>

// ...in your script
GridStack.init();

...or see list of all API and options available.

see jsfiddle sample as running example too.

Requirements

GridStack no longer requires external dependencies as of v1 (lodash was removed in v0.5 and jquery API in v1). v3 is a complete HTML5 re-write removing need for jquery. v6 is native mouse and touch event for mobile support, and no longer have jquery-ui version. All you need to include now is gridstack-all.js and gridstack.min.css (layouts are done using CSS column based %).

Specific frameworks

search for 'gridstack' under NPM for latest, more to come...

• Angular: we ship out of the box an Angular wrapper - see Angular Component.
• Angular9: lb-gridstack Note: very old v0.3 gridstack instance so recommend for concept ONLY if you wish to use directive instead. Code has not been vented at as I use components.
• AngularJS: gridstack-angular
• Ember: ember-gridstack
• knockout: see demo using component, but check custom bindings ticket which is likely better approach.
• Rails: gridstack-js-rails
• React: work in progress to have wrapper code: see React Component. But also see demo with src, or react-gridstack-example, or read on what hooks to use
• Vue: see demo with v3 src or v2 src
• Aurelia: aurelia-gridstack, see demo

Extend Library

You can easily extend or patch gridstack with code like this:

// extend gridstack with our own custom method
GridStack.prototype.printCount = function() {
  console.log('grid has ' + this.engine.nodes.length + ' items');
};

let grid = GridStack.init();

// you can now call
grid.printCount();

Extend Engine

You can now (5.1+) easily create your own layout engine to further customize your usage. Here is a typescript example

import { GridStack, GridStackEngine, GridStackNode, GridStackMoveOpts } from 'gridstack';

class CustomEngine extends GridStackEngine {

  /** refined this to move the node to the given new location */
  public override moveNode(node: GridStackNode, o: GridStackMoveOpts): boolean {
    // keep the same original X and Width and let base do it all...
    o.x = node.x;
    o.w = node.w;
    return super.moveNode(node, o);
  }
}

GridStack.registerEngine(CustomEngine); // globally set our custom class

Change grid columns

GridStack makes it very easy if you need [1-12] columns out of the box (default is 12), but you always need 2 things if you need to customize this:

• Change the column grid option when creating a grid to your number N

GridStack.init( {column: N} );

NOTE: step 2 is OLD and not needed with v12+ which uses CSS variables instead of classes

• also include gridstack-extra.css if N < 12 (else custom CSS - see next). Without these, things will not render/work correctly.

<link href="node_modules/gridstack/dist/gridstack.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/>
<link href="node_modules/gridstack/dist/gridstack-extra.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/>

<div class="grid-stack">...</div>

Note: class .grid-stack-N will automatically be added and we include gridstack-extra.min.css which defines CSS for grids with custom [2-11] columns. Anything more and you'll need to generate the SASS/CSS yourself (see next).

See example: 2 grids demo with 6 columns

Custom columns CSS (OLD, not needed with v12+)

NOTE: step is OLD and not needed with v12+ which uses CSS variables instead of classes

If you need > 12 columns or want to generate the CSS manually you will need to generate CSS rules for .grid-stack-item[gs-w="X"] and .grid-stack-item[gs-x="X"].

For instance for 4-column grid you need CSS to be:

.gs-4 > .grid-stack-item[gs-x="1"]  { left: 25% }
.gs-4 > .grid-stack-item[gs-x="2"]  { left: 50% }
.gs-4 > .grid-stack-item[gs-x="3"]  { left: 75% }

.gs-4 > .grid-stack-item { width: 25% }
.gs-4 > .grid-stack-item[gs-w="2"]  { width: 50% }
.gs-4 > .grid-stack-item[gs-w="3"]  { width: 75% }
.gs-4 > .grid-stack-item[gs-w="4"]  { width: 100% }

Better yet, here is a SCSS code snippet, you can use sites like sassmeister.com to generate the CSS for you instead:

$columns: 20;
@function fixed($float) {
  @return round($float * 1000) / 1000; // total 2+3 digits being %
}
.gs-#{$columns} > .grid-stack-item {

  width: fixed(100% / $columns);

  @for $i from 1 through $columns - 1 {
    &[gs-x='#{$i}'] { left: fixed((100% / $columns) * $i); }
    &[gs-w='#{$i+1}'] { width: fixed((100% / $columns) * ($i+1)); }
  }
}

you can also use the SCSS src/gridstack-extra.scss included in NPM package and modify to add more columns.

Sample gulp command for 30 columns:

gulp.src('node_modules/gridstack/dist/src/gridstack-extra.scss')
        .pipe(replace('$start: 2 !default;','$start: 30;'))
        .pipe(replace('$end: 11 !default;','$end: 30;'))
        .pipe(sass({outputStyle: 'compressed'}))
        .pipe(rename({extname: '.min.css'}))
        .pipe(gulp.dest('dist/css'))

Override resizable/draggable options

You can override default resizable/draggable options. For instance to enable other then bottom right resizing handle you can init gridstack like:

GridStack.init({
  resizable: {
    handles: 'e,se,s,sw,w'
  }
});

Touch devices support

gridstack v6+ now support mobile out of the box, with the addition of native touch event (along with mouse event) for drag&drop and resize. Older versions (3.2+) required the jq version with added touch punch, but doesn't work well with nested grids.

This option is now the default:

let options = {
  alwaysShowResizeHandle: 'mobile' // true if we're on mobile devices
};
GridStack.init(options);

See example.

Migrating

Migrating to v0.6

starting in 0.6.x change event are no longer sent (for pretty much most nodes!) when an item is just added/deleted unless it also changes other nodes (was incorrect and causing inefficiencies). You may need to track added|removed events if you didn't and relied on the old broken behavior.

Migrating to v1

v1.0.0 removed Jquery from the API and external dependencies, which will require some code changes. Here is a list of the changes:

• see previous step if not on v0.6 already

• your code only needs to import GridStack from 'gridstack' or include gridstack.all.js and gristack.css (don't include other JS) and is recommended you do that as internal dependencies will change over time. If you are jquery based, see jquery app section.

• code change:

OLD initializing code + adding a widget + adding an event:

// initialization returned Jquery element, requiring second call to get GridStack var
var grid = $('.grid-stack').gridstack(opts?).data('gridstack');

// returned Jquery element
grid.addWidget($('<div><div class="grid-stack-item-content"> test </div></div>'), undefined, undefined, 2, undefined, true);

// jquery event handler
$('.grid-stack').on('added', function(e, items) {/* items contains info */});

// grid access after init
var grid = $('.grid-stack').data('gridstack');

NEW

// element identifier defaults to '.grid-stack', returns the grid
// Note: for Typescript use window.GridStack.init() until next native 2.x TS version
var grid = GridStack.init(opts?, element?);

// returns DOM element
grid.addWidget('<div><div class="grid-stack-item-content"> test </div></div>', {width: 2});
// Note: in 3.x it's ever simpler 
// grid.addWidget({w:2, content: 'test'})

// event handler
grid.on('added', function(e, items) {/* items contains info */});

// grid access after init
var grid = el.gridstack; // where el = document.querySelector('.grid-stack') or other ways...

Other rename changes

`GridStackUI` --> `GridStack`
`GridStackUI.GridStackEngine` --> `GridStack.Engine`
`grid.container` (jquery grid wrapper) --> `grid.el` // (grid DOM element)
`grid.grid` (GridStackEngine) --> `grid.engine`
`grid.setColumn(N)` --> `grid.column(N)` and `grid.column()` // to get value, old API still supported though

Recommend looking at the many samples for more code examples.

Migrating to v2

make sure to read v1 migration first!

v2 is a Typescript rewrite of 1.x, removing all jquery events, using classes and overall code cleanup to support ES6 modules. Your code might need to change from 1.x

• In general methods that used no args (getter) vs setter can't be used in TS when the arguments differ (set/get are also not function calls so API would have changed). Instead we decided to have all set methods return GridStack to they can be chain-able (ex: grid.float(true).cellHeight(10).column(6)). Also legacy methods that used to take many parameters will now take a single object (typically GridStackOptions or GridStackWidget).

`addWidget(el, x, y, width, height)` --> `addWidget(el, {with: 2})`
// Note: in 2.1.x you can now just do addWidget({with: 2, content: "text"})
`float()` --> `getFloat()` // to get value
`cellHeight()` --> `getCellHeight()` // to get value
`verticalMargin` --> `margin` // grid options and API that applies to all 4 sides.
`verticalMargin()` --> `getMargin()` // to get value

• event signatures are generic and not jquery-ui dependent anymore. gsresizestop has been removed as resizestop|dragstop are now called after the DOM attributes have been updated.

• oneColumnMode would trigger when window.width < 768px by default. We now check for grid width instead (more correct and supports nesting). You might need to adjust grid oneColumnSize or disableOneColumnMode.

Note: 2.x no longer support legacy IE11 and older due to using more compact ES6 output and typecsript native code. You will need to stay at 1.x

Migrating to v3

make sure to read v2 migration first!

v3 has a new HTML5 drag&drop plugging (63k total, all native code), while still allowing you to use the legacy jquery-ui version instead (188k), or a new static grid version (34k, no user drag&drop but full API support). You will need to decide which version to use as gridstack.all.js no longer exist (same is now gridstack-jq.js) - see include info.

NOTE: HTML5 version is almost on parity with the old jquery-ui based drag&drop. the containment (prevent a child from being dragged outside it's parent) and revert (not clear what it is for yet) are not yet implemented in initial release of v3.0.0.
Also mobile devices don't support h5 drag events (will need to handle touch) whereas v3.2 jq version now now supports out of the box (see v3.2 release)

Breaking changes:

• include (as mentioned) need to change

• GridStack.update(el, opt) now takes single GridStackWidget options instead of only supporting (x,y,w,h) BUT legacy call in JS will continue working the same for now. That method is a complete re-write and does the right constrain and updates now for all the available params.

• locked(), move(), resize(), minWidth(), minHeight(), maxWidth(), maxHeight() methods are hidden from Typescript (JS can still call for now) as they are just 1 liner wrapper around update(el, opt) anyway and will go away soon. (ex: move(el, x, y) => update(el, {x, y}))

• item attribute like data-gs-min-width is now gs-min-w. We removed 'data-' from all attributes, and shorten 'width|height' to just 'w|h' to require less typing and more efficient (2k saved in .js alone!).

• GridStackWidget used in most API width|height|minWidth|minHeight|maxWidth|maxHeight are now shorter w|h|minW|minH|maxW|maxH as well

Migrating to v4

make sure to read v3 migration first!

v4 is a complete re-write of the collision and drag in/out heuristics to fix some very long standing request & bugs. It also greatly improved usability. Read the release notes for more detail.

Unlikely Breaking Changes (internal usage):

• removeTimeout was removed (feedback over trash will be immediate - actual removal still on mouse up)

• the following GridStackEngine methods changed (used internally, doesn't affect GridStack public API)

// moved to 3 methods with new option params to support new code and pixel coverage check
`collision()` -> `collide(), collideAll(), collideCoverage()`
`moveNodeCheck(node, x, y, w, h)` -> `moveNodeCheck(node, opt: GridStackMoveOpts)`
`isNodeChangedPosition(node, x, y, w, h)` -> `changedPosConstrain(node, opt: GridStackMoveOpts)`
`moveNode(node, x, y, w, h, noPack)` -> `moveNode(node, opt: GridStackMoveOpts)`

• removed old obsolete (v0.6-v1 methods/attrs) getGridHeight(), verticalMargin, data-gs-current-height, locked(), maxWidth(), minWidth(), maxHeight(), minHeight(), move(), resize()

Migrating to v5

make sure to read v4 migration first!

v5 does not have any breaking changes from v4, but a focus on nested grids in h5 mode: You can now drag in/out of parent into nested child, with new API parameters values. See the release notes.

Migrating to v6

the API did not really change from v5, but a complete re-write of Drag&Drop to use native mouseevent (instead of HTML draggable=true which is buggy on Mac Safari, and doesn't work on mobile devices) and touchevent (mobile), and we no longer have jquery ui option (wasn't working well for nested grids, didn't want to maintain legacy lib).

The main difference is you only need to include gridstack.js and get D&D (desktop and mobile) out of the box for the same size as h5 version.

Migrating to v7

New addition, no API breakage per say. See release notes about creating sub-grids on the fly.

Migrating to v8

Possible breaking change if you use nested grid JSON format, or original Angular wrapper, or relied on specific CSS paths. Also target is now ES2020 (see release notes).

• GridStackOptions.subGrid -> GridStackOptions.subGridOpts rename. We now have GridStackWidget.subGridOpts vs GridStackNode.subGrid (was both types which is error prone)
• GridStackOptions.addRemoveCB -> GridStack.addRemoveCB is now global instead of grid option
• removed GridStackOptions.dragInOptions since GridStack.setupDragIn() has it replaced since 4.0
• remove GridStackOptions.minWidth obsolete since 5.1, use oneColumnSize instead
• CSS rules removed .grid-stack prefix for anything already gs based, 12 column (default) now uses .gs-12, extra.css is less than 1/4th it original size!, gs-min|max_w|h attribute no longer written (but read)

Migrating to v9

New addition - see release notes about sizeToContent feature. Possible break:

• GridStack.onParentResize() is now called onResize() as grid now directly track size change, no longer involving parent per say to tell us anything. Note sure why it was public.

Migrating to v10

we now support much richer responsive behavior with GridStackOptions.columnOpts including any breakpoint width:column pairs, or automatic column sizing.

breaking change:

• disableOneColumnMode, oneColumnSize have been removed (thought we temporary convert if you have them). use columnOpts: { breakpoints: [{w:768, c:1}] } for the same behavior.
• 1 column mode switch is no longer by default (columnOpts is not defined) as too many new users had issues. Instead set it explicitly (see above).
• oneColumnModeDomSort has been removed. Planning to support per column layouts at some future times. TBD

Migrating to v11

• All instances of el.innerHTML = 'some content' have been removed for security reason as it opens up some potential for accidental XSS.

• Side panel drag&drop complete rewrite.

• new lazy loading option

Breaking change:

• if your code relies on GridStackWidget.content with real HTML (like a few demos) it is up to you to do this:

// NOTE: REAL apps would sanitize-html or DOMPurify before blinding setting innerHTML. see #2736
GridStack.renderCB = function(el: HTMLElement, w: GridStackNode) {
  el.innerHTML = w.content;
};

• V11 add new GridStack.renderCB that is called for you to create the widget content (entire GridStackWidget is passed so you can use id or some other field as logic) while GS creates the 2 needed parent divs + classes, unlike GridStack.addRemoveCB which doesn't create anything for you. Both can be handy for Angular/React/Vue frameworks.
• addWidget(w: GridStackWidget) is now the only supported format, no more string content passing. You will need to create content yourself (GridStack.createWidgetDivs() can be used to create parent divs) then call makeWidget(el) instead.

Potential breaking change:

• BIG overall to how sidepanel helper drag&drop is done:

• clone() helper is now passed full HTML element dragged, not an event on grid-stack-item-content so you can clone or set attr at the top.
• use any class/structure you want for side panel items (see two.html)
• GridStack.setupDragIn() now support associating a GridStackWidget for each sidepanel that will be used to define what to create on drop!
• if no GridStackWidget is defined, the helper will now be inserted as is, and NOT original sidepanel item.
• support DOM gs- attr as well as gridstacknode JSON (see two.html) alternatives.

Migrating to v12

• column and cell height code has been re-writen to use browser CSS variables, and we no longer need a tons of custom CSS classes! this fixes a long standing issue where people forget to include the right CSS for non 12 columns layouts, and a big speedup in many cases (many columns, or small cellHeight values).

Breaking change:

• gridstack-extra.min.css no longer exist, nor is custom column CSS needed. API/options hasn't changed.

jQuery Application

This is old and no longer apply to v6+. You'll need to use v5.1.1 and before

import 'gridstack/dist/gridstack.min.css';
import { GridStack } from 'gridstack';
import 'gridstack/dist/jq/gridstack-dd-jqueryui';

Note: jquery & jquery-ui are imported by name, so you will have to specify their location in your webpack (or equivalent) config file, which means you can possibly bring your own version

  alias: {
    'jquery': 'gridstack/dist/jq/jquery.js',
    'jquery-ui': 'gridstack/dist/jq/jquery-ui.js',
    'jquery.ui': 'gridstack/dist/jq/jquery-ui.js',
    'jquery.ui.touch-punch': 'gridstack/dist/jq/jquery.ui.touch-punch.js',
  },

Alternatively (single combined file) in html

<link href="node_modules/gridstack/dist/gridstack.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/>
<!-- HTML5 drag&drop (70k) -->
<script src="node_modules/gridstack/dist/gridstack-h5.js"></script>
<!-- OR jquery-ui drag&drop (195k) -->
<script src="node_modules/gridstack/dist/gridstack-jq.js"></script>
<!-- OR static grid (40k) -->
<script src="node_modules/gridstack/dist/gridstack-static.js"></script>

We have a native HTML5 drag'n'drop through the plugin system (default), but the jquery-ui version can be used instead. It will bundle jquery (3.5.1) + jquery-ui (1.13.1 minimal drag|drop|resize) + jquery-ui-touch-punch (1.0.8 for mobile support) in gridstack-jq.js.

NOTE: in v4, v3: we ES6 module import jquery & jquery-ui by name, so you need to specify location of those .js files, which means you might be able to bring your own version as well. See the include instructions.

NOTE: in v1.x IFF you want to use gridstack-jq instead and your app needs to bring your own JQ version, you should instead include gridstack-poly.min.js (optional IE support) + gridstack.min.js + gridstack.jQueryUI.min.js after you import your JQ libs. But note that there are issue with jQuery and ES6 import (see 1306).

As for events, you can still use $(".grid-stack").on(...) for the version that uses jquery-ui for things we don't support.

Changes

View our change log here.

Usage Trend

Usage Trend of gridstack

The Team

gridstack.js is currently maintained by Alain Dumesny, before that Dylan Weiss, originally created by Pavel Reznikov. We appreciate all contributors for help.