How to Make Column Scrollable in Flutter

One of the questions I often encounter is how to make a Column widget scrollable in Flutter. If you’ve found yourself stuck with overflowing widgets in a column, this blog post is for you. We’ll explore different techniques to make a Column scrollable.

Method 1: Use SingleChildScrollView

The Code

Here’s how you can make a Column scrollable using SingleChildScrollView:

SingleChildScrollView(
  child: Column(
    children: [
      Text('First Child'),
      Text('Second Child'),
      // Add more children
    ],
  ),
)

Code Explanation

• SingleChildScrollView: This is the widget that makes its child scrollable. Simply wrap your Column with this widget.
• Column: Your standard Column goes inside SingleChildScrollView. Add as many children as you want.

Method 2: Use ListView instead of Column

The Code

You can also use ListView.builder for a more dynamic approach:

ListView.builder(
  itemCount: 50,
  itemBuilder: (BuildContext context, int index) {
    return Text('Item $index');
  },
)

Code Explanation

• ListView.builder: This widget generates items on demand and recycles them, making it efficient for long lists.
• itemCount: Specifies the number of items.
• itemBuilder: Builds each item dynamically.

Following is the complete code for reference.

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

void main() {
  runApp(const MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  const MyApp({super.key});

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      title: 'Flutter Demo',
      theme: ThemeData(
        colorScheme: ColorScheme.fromSeed(seedColor: Colors.deepPurple),
        useMaterial3: true,
      ),
      home: const MyHomePage(),
    );
  }
}

class MyHomePage extends StatelessWidget {
  const MyHomePage({super.key});

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(
          backgroundColor: Theme.of(context).colorScheme.inversePrimary,
          title: const Text(
            'Flutter Example',
          ),
        ),
        body: ListView.builder(
          itemCount: 50,
          itemBuilder: (BuildContext context, int index) {
            return Text('Item $index');
          },
        ));
  }
}

When to Use Which Method

• Use SingleChildScrollView when you have a short list or if the list length doesn’t change frequently.
• Use ListView.builder for long, dynamic lists for better performance.

Making a Column scrollable in Flutter isn’t a complicated task. You can either use SingleChildScrollView for simplicity or ListView.builder for efficiency. Each method has its own advantages and scenarios where it’s best suited.