HextaUI

Message scroller: Loading earlier messages

Older messages added above keep what you're reading in place (preserveScrollOnPrepend, on by default).

Message #100
Message #101
Message #102
Message #103
Message #104
Message #105
"use client"

import * as React from "react"

import { Bubble, BubbleContent } from "@/components/ui/bubble"
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
import { Message, MessageContent } from "@/components/ui/message"
import {
  MessageScroller,
  MessageScrollerButton,
  MessageScrollerContent,
  MessageScrollerItem,
  MessageScrollerProvider,
  MessageScrollerViewport,
} from "@/components/ui/message-scroller"

type Entry = { id: number; text: string }

const page = (from: number) =>
  Array.from({ length: 6 }, (_, index) => ({
    id: from + index,
    text: `Message #${from + index}`,
  }))

export function MessageScrollerHistory() {
  const [entries, setEntries] = React.useState<Entry[]>(() => page(100))
  const [loading, setLoading] = React.useState(false)
  const timer = React.useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>>(undefined)

  React.useEffect(() => () => clearTimeout(timer.current), [])

  const loadOlder = () => {
    setLoading(true)
    timer.current = setTimeout(() => {
      setEntries((current) => [...page(current[0].id - 6), ...current])
      setLoading(false)
    }, 600)
  }

  return (
    <div className="h-80 w-full max-w-md overflow-hidden rounded-xl border">
      <MessageScrollerProvider>
        <MessageScroller>
          <MessageScrollerViewport
            aria-label="Message history"
            preserveScrollOnPrepend
          >
            <MessageScrollerContent>
              <div className="flex justify-center">
                <Button
                  variant="outline"
                  size="sm"
                  loading={loading}
                  onClick={loadOlder}
                >
                  Load older messages
                </Button>
              </div>
              {entries.map((entry) => (
                <MessageScrollerItem
                  key={entry.id}
                  messageId={String(entry.id)}
                >
                  <Message align={entry.id % 3 === 0 ? "end" : "start"}>
                    <MessageContent>
                      <Bubble
                        variant={entry.id % 3 === 0 ? "default" : "secondary"}
                      >
                        <BubbleContent>{entry.text}</BubbleContent>
                      </Bubble>
                    </MessageContent>
                  </Message>
                </MessageScrollerItem>
              ))}
            </MessageScrollerContent>
          </MessageScrollerViewport>
          <MessageScrollerButton direction="start" />
          <MessageScrollerButton />
        </MessageScroller>
      </MessageScrollerProvider>
    </div>
  )
}

This adds the example as components/examples/message-scroller/history.tsx, together with the Message scroller component and the HextaUI theme tokens it needs.

pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add https://hextaui.com/r/message-scroller-history.json

To add only the component, follow the Message scroller installation.

Props in this example

The Message scroller props this example sets, from the API reference.

PropTypeDefault
preserveScrollOnPrependKeep the reading position when messages are added above.
booleanfalse
aria-labelNames the conversation region.
string–
PropTypeDefault
messageIdStable id for following, anchors and counts.
string–
PropTypeDefault
direction
"start" | "end""end"

Every prop is in the Message scroller API reference.

See them all, with keyboard support and accessibility notes, on the Message scroller page.