Virtual scrolling for large lists in Angular - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is virtual scrolling in Angular?

Virtual scrolling is a technique that loads and renders only the visible items in a large list to improve performance and reduce memory use.

beginner

Which Angular module provides virtual scrolling features?

The Angular CDK (Component Dev Kit) provides the ScrollingModule, which includes virtual scrolling components.

intermediate

How does virtual scrolling improve user experience with large lists?

By rendering only visible items, virtual scrolling makes scrolling smooth and fast, avoiding delays and freezes caused by rendering all items at once.

beginner

What component is used in Angular CDK for virtual scrolling?

The component is used to create a viewport that only renders visible list items.

intermediate

Name one key input property of and its purpose.

The 'itemSize' property defines the height (or width) of each item, helping the viewport calculate which items to render.

What does virtual scrolling do in Angular?

A Renders only visible list items to improve performance

B Loads all list items at once for faster access

C Disables scrolling on large lists

D Automatically paginates the list

Virtual scrolling renders only the visible items to keep the app fast and responsive.

Which Angular package provides virtual scrolling components?

A @angular/animations

B @angular/forms

C @angular/router

D @angular/cdk/scrolling

The Angular CDK's ScrollingModule provides virtual scrolling features.

What is the role of the 'itemSize' property in ?

A Sets the height or width of each item

B Controls the color of items

C Specifies the scroll speed

D Defines the total number of items

'itemSize' tells the viewport how tall or wide each item is to calculate which items to show.

Why is virtual scrolling better than rendering all items in a large list?

A It uses more memory

B It slows down the app

C It improves scrolling smoothness and reduces memory use

D It disables user interaction

Virtual scrolling improves performance by rendering only visible items, making scrolling smooth.

Which HTML element is replaced by for virtual scrolling?

A <div>

B <ul>

C <table>

D <section>

often replaces

or other container elements to manage large lists efficiently.

Explain how virtual scrolling works in Angular and why it is useful for large lists.

Think about how showing fewer items at once helps the app run faster.

Describe the steps to implement virtual scrolling in an Angular app using the CDK.

Focus on module import, component usage, and key properties.

Practice

1. What is the main benefit of using cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport in Angular for large lists?

easy

A. It renders only visible items to improve performance.

B. It automatically sorts the list items alphabetically.

C. It adds animations to list items when scrolling.

D. It duplicates list items for faster loading.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand virtual scrolling purpose

   Virtual scrolling aims to improve performance by rendering only the visible items in a large list.

2. Step 2: Identify cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport role

   This Angular component implements virtual scrolling by showing only the items visible in the viewport, reducing DOM load.

3. Final Answer:

   It renders only visible items to improve performance. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Virtual scrolling = render visible items only [OK]

Hint: Virtual scroll shows visible items only to boost speed [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking it sorts or animates items
• Assuming it duplicates items for speed
• Confusing with pagination

2. Which of the following is the correct way to use virtual scrolling in Angular template?

easy

A. <cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport><div *cdkVirtualFor="let item in items">{{item}}</div></cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>

B. <cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport itemSize="50"><div *ngFor="let item of items">{{item}}</div></cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>

C. <cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport itemSize="50"><div *cdkVirtualFor="let item of items">{{item}}</div></cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>

D. <cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport itemSize="50"><div *ngFor="let item in items">{{item}}</div></cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct directive for virtual scroll

   Angular CDK virtual scroll requires *cdkVirtualFor instead of *ngFor to render visible items only.

2. Step 2: Check syntax and itemSize usage

   The itemSize attribute is required on cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport to set fixed item height for scrolling calculations.

3. Final Answer:

   <cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport itemSize="50"><div *cdkVirtualFor="let item of items">{{item}}</div></cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport> -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Use *cdkVirtualFor with itemSize on viewport [OK]

Hint: Use *cdkVirtualFor, not *ngFor, inside cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using *ngFor instead of *cdkVirtualFor
• Using 'let item in items' instead of 'of'
• Omitting itemSize attribute

3. Given this Angular template snippet:

<cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport itemSize="40" style="height: 120px;">
  <div *cdkVirtualFor="let item of items">{{item}}</div>
</cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>

and items = ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E'], how many items will be visible at once?

medium

A. 3 items

B. 5 items

C. 2 items

D. 4 items

Solution

1. Step 1: Calculate viewport height in pixels

   The viewport height is set to 120px.

2. Step 2: Divide viewport height by itemSize

   Each item is 40px tall, so 120px / 40px = 3 items visible at once.

3. Final Answer:

   3 items -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Visible items = viewport height / itemSize = 3 [OK]

Hint: Divide viewport height by itemSize to find visible items [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Counting all items instead of visible ones
• Ignoring style height on viewport
• Using wrong division operator

4. What is wrong with this Angular virtual scroll code?

<cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport itemSize="50">
  <div *cdkVirtualFor="let item in items">{{item}}</div>
</cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport>

medium

A. The *cdkVirtualFor directive must be on the viewport, not the div.

B. Missing style height on viewport causes no scroll.

C. itemSize must be a number, not a string.

D. Using *cdkVirtualFor with 'in' instead of 'of' causes an error.

Solution

1. Step 1: Check syntax of *cdkVirtualFor directive

   The correct syntax uses 'of' to iterate over items, not 'in'. Using 'in' causes a template error.

2. Step 2: Verify other attributes

   itemSize can be a string representing a number, and style height is recommended but not syntax error. The directive must be on the repeated element, not viewport.

3. Final Answer:

   Using *cdkVirtualFor with 'in' instead of 'of' causes an error. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   *cdkVirtualFor uses 'of', not 'in' [OK]

Hint: Use 'of' with *cdkVirtualFor, not 'in' [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'in' instead of 'of' in *cdkVirtualFor
• Forgetting to set viewport height
• Placing directive on wrong element

5. You want to display a list of 10,000 items with virtual scrolling. Which combination of settings ensures smooth scrolling and correct rendering?

hard

A. Use *ngFor inside a scrollable div without cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport.

B. Use cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport with fixed itemSize, set viewport height, and use *cdkVirtualFor.

C. Use cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport with variable itemSize and *cdkVirtualFor.

D. Use cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport without itemSize, and *ngFor for rendering.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand virtual scroll requirements

   Virtual scrolling requires a fixed itemSize to calculate visible items and smooth scrolling.

2. Step 2: Use correct directives and styles

   Use cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport with a fixed height and *cdkVirtualFor to render only visible items efficiently.

3. Step 3: Avoid common pitfalls

   Not setting itemSize or using *ngFor causes performance issues or errors.

4. Final Answer:

   Use cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport with fixed itemSize, set viewport height, and use *cdkVirtualFor. -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Fixed itemSize + *cdkVirtualFor + viewport height = smooth scroll [OK]

Hint: Fixed itemSize and *cdkVirtualFor are key for smooth virtual scroll [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting itemSize or viewport height
• Using *ngFor instead of *cdkVirtualFor
• Trying variable item sizes without special handling