⚡ Rune Scroller - Full Reference

📚 Complete API Reference — Detailed documentation for all features and options.

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Lightweight scroll animations for Svelte 5 — Built with Svelte 5 Runes and IntersectionObserver API.

🚀 Open Source by ludoloops at LeLab.dev 📜 Licensed under MIT

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✨ Features

• 14KB gzipped (47KB uncompressed) - Minimal overhead, optimized for production
• Zero dependencies - Pure Svelte 5 + IntersectionObserver
• 14 animations - Fade, Zoom, Flip, Slide, Bounce variants
• Full TypeScript support - Type definitions generated from JSDoc
• SSR-ready - SvelteKit compatible
• GPU-accelerated - Pure CSS transforms
• Accessible - Respects prefers-reduced-motion
• v2.0.0 New - onVisible callback, ResizeObserver support, animation validation, sentinel customization
• ✨ Latest - useIntersection migrated to Svelte 5 $effect rune for better lifecycle management
• 🚀 Bundle optimized - CSS with custom properties, production build minification
• 🚀 v2.2.0 - Cache CSS check to eliminate 99% of reflows

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🚀 Performance

Cache CSS Validation (v2.2.0)

Problem:

• checkAndWarnIfCSSNotLoaded() was called for EVERY element
• Each call did:
  • document.createElement('div')
  • document.body.appendChild(test)
  • getComputedStyle(test) ⚠️ Expensive! Forces full page reflow
  • test.remove()
• For 100 animated elements = 100 reflows + 100 DOM operations

Solution:

// Cache to check only once per page load
let cssCheckResult = null;

export function checkAndWarnIfCSSNotLoaded() {
  if (cssCheckResult !== null) return cssCheckResult;
  // ... expensive check ...
  cssCheckResult = hasAnimation;
  return hasAnimation;
}

Impact:

• Validation runs ONLY ONCE per page load
• Eliminates layout thrashing from repeated getComputedStyle() calls
• For 100 elements: 99 fewer reflows (100 → 1)
• Zero memory overhead (single boolean)

Current Performance Metrics

Metric	Value
Bundle size	12.4KB (compressed), 40.3KB (unpacked)
Initialization	~1-2ms per element
Observer callback	<0.5ms per frame
CSS validation	~0.1ms total (v2.2.0, with cache)
Memory per observer	~1.2KB
Animation performance	60fps maintained
Memory leaks	0 detected

Why Performance Matters

Layout Thrashing:

• Synchronous reflows block the main thread
• Each reflow can take 10-20ms
• For 100 elements = 1-2 seconds blocked
• User sees stuttering/jank while scrolling

Solution:

• Cache = 1 reflow instead of N
• 99% improvement on pages with many animations
• Smoother scrolling, better UX

Optimized Code Patterns

IntersectionObserver:

• Native API (no scroll listeners)
• Fast callback (<0.5ms per frame)
• No debounce needed (browser handles this efficiently)

CSS Animations:

• Transforms only (GPU-accelerated)
• No layout/repaint during animation
• will-change on visible elements only

DOM Operations:

• insertAdjacentElement('beforebegin') instead of insertBefore
• offsetHeight instead of getBoundingClientRect() (avoids transform issues)
• Complete cleanup on destroy

Memory Management:

• All observers disconnected
• Sentinel and wrapper removed
• State prevents double-disconnects
• 0 memory leaks detected (121/121 tests)

Future Considerations

1. will-change Timing

• Currently: .is-visible { will-change: transform, opacity; }
• Trade-off: Stays active after animation (consumes GPU memory)
• Consideration: Use transitionend event to remove will-change
• Recommendation: Keep current (GPU memory is cheap)

2. Threshold Tuning

• Current: threshold: 0 (triggers as soon as 1px is visible)
• Alternative: threshold: 0.1 or threshold: 0.25
• Trade-off: Higher threshold = later trigger = smoother stagger
• Recommendation: Keep threshold: 0 for immediate feedback

3. requestIdleCallback

• Potential: Defer non-critical setup to browser idle time
• Trade-off: Complex to implement, marginal benefit
• Recommendation: Not needed (current performance is excellent)

4. Testing on Low-End Devices

• Test on mobile phones, older browsers
• Use DevTools CPU throttling
• Consider Lighthouse/Puppeteer for automated testing
• Ensure 60fps maintained on real devices

What NOT to Optimize

Anti-patterns to avoid:

1. ❌ Premature optimization

   • Don't optimize without measurements
   • Profile first, optimize later
   • "Premature optimization is the root of all evil"

2. ❌ Over-engineering

   • Complex solutions for small gains
   • Keep it simple when possible
   • Don't sacrifice readability for micro-optimizations

3. ❌ Breaking performance for size

   • Bundle size matters (12.4KB is excellent)
   • Don't add huge dependencies for minor improvements

4. ❌ Optimizing unused paths

   • Focus on hot paths (element creation, scroll, intersection)
   • Cold paths (initialization, destroy) less critical

5. ❌ Sacrificing maintainability

   • Don't sacrifice code clarity for micro-optimizations
   • Comments should explain WHY, not just WHAT
   • Keep code simple and understandable

Performance Testing

Recommended approach:

1. Create a benchmark with 100-1000 animated elements
2. Measure: initialization, first animation, scroll performance, cleanup
3. Profile with DevTools Performance tab
4. Test on real pages (not just benchmarks)
5. Verify 60fps is maintained during scroll

Tools:

• Chrome DevTools Performance tab
• Firefox Performance Profiler
• Web Inspector (Safari)
• Lighthouse (PageSpeed, accessibility, best practices)

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📦 Installation

npm install rune-scroller
# or
pnpm add rune-scroller
# or
yarn add rune-scroller

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🚀 Quick Start

<script>
	import runeScroller from 'rune-scroller';
</script>

<!-- Simple animation -->
<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'fade-in' }}>
	<h2>Animated Heading</h2>
</div>

<!-- With custom duration -->
<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'fade-in-up', duration: 1500 }}>
	<div class="card">Smooth fade and slide</div>
</div>

<!-- Repeat on every scroll -->
<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'bounce-in', repeat: true }}>
	<button>Bounces on every scroll</button>
</div>

That's it! The CSS animations are included automatically when you import rune-scroller.

Option 2: Manual CSS Import

For fine-grained control, import CSS manually:

Step 1: Import CSS in your root layout (recommended for SvelteKit):

<!-- src/routes/+layout.svelte -->
<script>
	import 'rune-scroller/animations.css';
	let { children } = $props();
</script>

{@render children()}

Or import in each component:

<script>
	import runeScroller from 'rune-scroller';
	import 'rune-scroller/animations.css';
</script>

Step 2: Use the animations

<script>
	import runeScroller from 'rune-scroller';
	// CSS already imported in layout or above
</script>

<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'fade-in' }}>
	Animated content
</div>

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🎨 Available Animations

Fade (5)

• fade-in - Simple opacity fade
• fade-in-up - Fade + move up 300px
• fade-in-down - Fade + move down 300px
• fade-in-left - Fade + move from right 300px
• fade-in-right - Fade + move from left 300px

Zoom (5)

• zoom-in - Scale from 0.3 to 1
• zoom-out - Scale from 2 to 1
• zoom-in-up - Zoom (0.5→1) + move up 300px
• zoom-in-left - Zoom (0.5→1) + move from right 300px
• zoom-in-right - Zoom (0.5→1) + move from left 300px

Others (4)

• flip - 3D flip on Y-axis
• flip-x - 3D flip on X-axis
• slide-rotate - Slide + rotate 10°
• bounce-in - Bouncy entrance (spring effect)

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⚙️ Options

interface RuneScrollerOptions {
	animation?: AnimationType;  // Animation name (default: 'fade-in')
	duration?: number;          // Duration in ms (default: 800)
	repeat?: boolean;           // Repeat on scroll (default: false)
	debug?: boolean;            // Show sentinel as visible line (default: false)
	offset?: number;            // Sentinel offset in px (default: 0, negative = above)
	onVisible?: (element: HTMLElement) => void;  // Callback when animation triggers (v2.0.0+)
	sentinelColor?: string;     // Sentinel debug color, e.g. '#ff6b6b' (v2.0.0+)
	sentinelId?: string;        // Custom ID for sentinel identification (v2.0.0+)
}

Option Details

• animation - Type of animation to play. Choose from 14 built-in animations listed above. Invalid animations automatically fallback to 'fade-in' with a console warning.
• duration - How long the animation lasts in milliseconds (default: 800ms).
• repeat - If true, animation plays every time sentinel enters viewport. If false, plays only once.
• debug - If true, displays the sentinel element as a visible line below your element. Useful for seeing exactly when animations trigger. Default color is cyan (#00e0ff), customize with sentinelColor.
• offset - Offset of the sentinel in pixels. Positive values move sentinel down (delays animation), negative values move it up (triggers earlier). Useful for large elements where you want animation to trigger before the entire element is visible.
• onVisible (v2.0.0+) - Callback function triggered when the animation becomes visible. Receives the animated element as parameter. Useful for analytics, lazy loading, or triggering custom effects.
• sentinelColor (v2.0.0+) - Customize the debug sentinel color (e.g., '#ff6b6b' for red). Only visible when debug: true. Useful for distinguishing multiple sentinels on the same page.
• sentinelId (v2.0.0+) - Set a custom ID for the sentinel element. If not provided, an auto-ID is generated (sentinel-1, sentinel-2, etc.). Useful for identifying sentinels in DevTools and tracking which element owns which sentinel.

Examples

<!-- Basic -->
<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'zoom-in' }}>
	Content
</div>

<!-- Custom duration -->
<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'fade-in-up', duration: 1000 }}>
	Fast animation
</div>

<!-- Repeat mode -->
<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'bounce-in', repeat: true }}>
	Repeats every time you scroll
</div>

<!-- Debug mode - shows cyan line marking sentinel position -->
<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'fade-in', debug: true }}>
	The cyan line below this shows when animation will trigger
</div>

<!-- Multiple options -->
<div use:runeScroller={{
	animation: 'fade-in-up',
	duration: 1200,
	repeat: true,
	debug: true
}}>
	Full featured example
</div>

<!-- Large element - trigger animation earlier with negative offset -->
<div use:runeScroller={{
	animation: 'fade-in-up',
	offset: -200  // Trigger 200px before element bottom
}}>
	Large content that needs early triggering
</div>

<!-- Delay animation by moving sentinel down -->
<div use:runeScroller={{
	animation: 'zoom-in',
	offset: 300  // Trigger 300px after element bottom
}}>
	Content with delayed animation
</div>

<!-- v2.0.0: onVisible callback for analytics tracking -->
<div use:runeScroller={{
	animation: 'fade-in-up',
	onVisible: (el) => {
		console.log('Animation visible!', el);
		// Track analytics, load images, trigger API calls, etc.
		window.gtag?.('event', 'animation_visible', { element: el.id });
	}
}}>
	Tracked animation
</div>

<!-- v2.0.0: Custom sentinel color for debugging -->
<div use:runeScroller={{
	animation: 'fade-in',
	debug: true,
	sentinelColor: '#ff6b6b'  // Red instead of default cyan
}}>
	Red debug sentinel
</div>

<!-- v2.0.0: Custom sentinel ID for identification -->
<div use:runeScroller={{
	animation: 'zoom-in',
	sentinelId: 'hero-zoom',
	debug: true
}}>
	Identified sentinel (shows "hero-zoom" in debug mode)
</div>

<!-- v2.0.0: Auto-ID (sentinel-1, sentinel-2, etc) -->
<div use:runeScroller={{
	animation: 'fade-in-up',
	debug: true
	// sentinelId omitted → auto generates "sentinel-1", "sentinel-2", etc
}}>
	Auto-identified sentinel
</div>

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🎯 How It Works

Rune Scroller uses sentinel-based triggering:

1. An invisible 1px sentinel element is created below your element
2. When the sentinel enters the viewport, animation triggers
3. This ensures precise timing regardless of element size
4. Uses native IntersectionObserver for performance
5. Pure CSS animations (GPU-accelerated)
6. (v2.0.0) Sentinel automatically repositions on element resize via ResizeObserver

Why sentinels?

• Accurate timing across all screen sizes
• No complex offset calculations
• Handles staggered animations naturally
• Sentinel stays fixed while element animates (no observer confusion with transforms)

Automatic ResizeObserver (v2.0.0+)

• Sentinel repositions automatically when element resizes
• Works with responsive layouts and dynamic content
• No configuration needed—it just works

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🌐 SSR Compatibility

Works seamlessly with SvelteKit. Simply import rune-scroller in your root layout:

<!-- src/routes/+layout.svelte -->
<script>
	import runeScroller from 'rune-scroller';
	let { children } = $props();
</script>

{@render children()}

Then use animations anywhere in your app:

<!-- src/routes/+page.svelte -->
<script>
	import runeScroller from 'rune-scroller';
</script>

<!-- No special handling needed -->
<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'fade-in-up' }}>
	Works in SvelteKit SSR!
</div>

The library checks for browser environment and gracefully handles server-side rendering.

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♿ Accessibility

Respects prefers-reduced-motion:

/* In animations.css */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
	.scroll-animate {
		animation: none !important;
		opacity: 1 !important;
		transform: none !important;
	}
}

Users who prefer reduced motion will see content without animations.

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📚 API Reference

Public API

Rune Scroller exports a single action-based API (no components):

1. runeScroller (default) - Sentinel-based, simple, powerful

Why actions instead of components?

• Actions are lightweight directives
• No DOM wrapper overhead
• Better performance
• More flexible

Main Export

// CSS is automatically included
import runeScroller from 'rune-scroller';

// Named exports
import {
	useIntersection,            // Composable
	useIntersectionOnce,        // Composable
	calculateRootMargin         // Utility
} from 'rune-scroller';

// Types
import type {
	AnimationType,
	RuneScrollerOptions,
	IntersectionOptions,
	UseIntersectionReturn
} from 'rune-scroller';

TypeScript Types

type AnimationType =
	| 'fade-in' | 'fade-in-up' | 'fade-in-down' | 'fade-in-left' | 'fade-in-right'
	| 'zoom-in' | 'zoom-out' | 'zoom-in-up' | 'zoom-in-left' | 'zoom-in-right'
	| 'flip' | 'flip-x' | 'slide-rotate' | 'bounce-in';

interface RuneScrollerOptions {
	animation?: AnimationType;
	duration?: number;
	repeat?: boolean;
	debug?: boolean;
	offset?: number;
	onVisible?: (element: HTMLElement) => void;      // v2.0.0+
	sentinelColor?: string;                          // v2.0.0+
	sentinelId?: string;                             // v2.0.0+
}

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📖 Examples

Staggered Animations

<script>
	import runeScroller from 'rune-scroller';

	const items = [
		{ title: 'Feature 1', description: 'Description 1' },
		{ title: 'Feature 2', description: 'Description 2' },
		{ title: 'Feature 3', description: 'Description 3' }
	];
</script>

<div class="grid">
	{#each items as item}
		<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'fade-in-up', duration: 800 }}>
			<h3>{item.title}</h3>
			<p>{item.description}</p>
		</div>
	{/each}
</div>

Hero Section

<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'fade-in-down', duration: 1000 }}>
	<h1>Welcome</h1>
</div>

<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'fade-in-up', duration: 1200 }}>
	<p>Engaging content</p>
</div>

<div use:runeScroller={{ animation: 'zoom-in', duration: 1000 }}>
	<button>Get Started</button>
</div>

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🔗 Links

• npm Package: rune-scroller
• GitHub: lelabdev/rune-scroller
• Changelog: CHANGELOG.md

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📄 License

MIT © ludoloops

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please open an issue or PR on GitHub.

# Development
bun install
bun run dev
bun test
bun run build

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Made with ❤️ by LeLab.dev