How to create a horizontally scrollable list in OutSystems for side-by-side items on mobile?

Creating a Horizontally Scrollable List in OutSystems for Side-by-Side Items on Mobile

Designing responsive and intuitive user interfaces is crucial in mobile app development, and OutSystems is a powerful platform for achieving this. One common requirement is creating horizontally scrollable lists for side-by-side items. This guide provides a comprehensive step-by-step approach to creating a horizontally scrollable list in OutSystems designed for mobile applications.

Prerequisites

• An OutSystems account with access to Service Studio.
• Basic understanding of OutSystems UI and data modeling concepts.
• A mobile application project set up in Service Studio.

Understanding Horizontal Scrolling in OutSystems

• Horizontal scrolling allows users to navigate through a list of items side-by-side, enhancing user experience on mobile devices.
• This type of UI is particularly useful for displaying images, cards, or any visual data collections.
• OutSystems provides simplicity in enabling horizontal scrolls through the use of built-in widgets and CSS styles.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Horizontal Scroll List

1. Setting Up Your OutSystems Environment

• Open Service Studio and access your mobile application project where you want to implement the scrollable list.
• Ensure that you have a data source or entity ready for use that contains the data you want to display in the list.

2. Creating the List Structure

• Drag a "Container" widget onto your screen from the Toolbox. This container will host your list items.
• Within this container, add a "List" or a "List Records" widget, depending on whether you are binding static or dynamic data.
• Configure your list widget by binding it to your desired data source (for example, a list of products or images).

3. Configuring List Items

• Inside your "List" widget, drag and drop a "Container" widget. This container represents an individual item in your list.
• Set the contents of this container according to your design. You might include an "Image" widget, "Text" widget, or any other UI elements needed to represent list item details.
• Ensure that each item container is uniformly styled for a consistent visual layout.

4. Enabling Horizontal Scrolling

• Select the parent container of your list items (the one with the "Container" widget hosting the list).
• In the properties panel, locate the "Style Classes" attribute and add "overflow-x-scroll" to enable horizontal scrolling.
• If "overflow-x-scroll" is not directly available, you may add custom CSS. Under the "Style" property, input:

      overflow-x: auto;
      white-space: nowrap;
      

• To ensure that each list item aligns side-by-side, ensure the CSS for each item container includes the following:

      display: inline-block;
      

5. Refining UI with Custom Styles

• OutSystems allows the addition of custom CSS to further refine styling. If desired, access your theme or page's CSS editor.
• Adjust padding, margin, or width parameters to ensure optimal display on mobile screens.
• Use media queries if necessary to adjust styles across different screen sizes for a responsive design.

6. Testing Your Horizontally Scrollable List

• Use OutSystems' simulation feature to view your application in a mobile view, ensuring the list scrolls as expected.
• Emulate touch interactions within the simulator to verify user experience matches standard mobile expectations.

Additional Tips

• For better performance on larger datasets, consider lazy loading techniques where applicable.
• Integrate touch-optimized controls, such as swipe gestures if needed, for enhanced user interaction.

By following these steps, you can successfully create a horizontally scrollable list in OutSystems tailored for mobile applications. This design pattern improves the usability of your app by providing a dynamic, interactive way to display side-by-side items, enhancing overall user engagement.