Scrollable Menu with Bootstrap - Menu expanding its container when it should not - css

Question

I tried this method (their fiddle) to enable scrollable menu with Bootstrap, but with that approach, the scrollable menu expands its container -- fiddle -- the non-scrollable menu, correctly, does not do this.
How can I fix this? Suggestions on other approaches compatible with Bootstrap are appreciated too!
For reference, here is the HTML from the first method's fiddle:
<ul class="nav">
<li class="dropdown">
<a class="icon-key icon-white" data-toggle="dropdown" href="#" style=
"font-weight: bold"></a>
<div class="dropdown-menu" style="margin-left: 2em">
<ul class="dropdown-menu">
<!-- static non-scrollable menu header 1 -->
</ul>
</div>
<div class="dropdown-menu" style="margin-left: 2em">
<ul class="dropdown-menu">
<li class="disabled">
<i class="icon-group"></i> <b>My Groups</b>
</li>
<li>
<div class="dropdown-menu scroll-menu scroll-menu-2x"
style="margin-left: 2em">
<ul class="dropdown-menu scroll-menu scroll-menu-2x">
<li>
User
</li>
<li>
Administrators
</li>
<li>
Some Other Group
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul class="dropdown-menu scroll-menu scroll-menu-2x">
<!-- Additional menu items omitted for brevity -->
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="dropdown-menu" style="margin-left: 2em">
<ul class="dropdown-menu">
<!-- static non-scrollable menu header 2 -->
</ul>
</div>
<div class="dropdown-menu" style="margin-left: 2em">
<ul class="dropdown-menu">
<li class="disabled">
<i class="icon-user"></i> <b>My Roles</b>
</li>
<li>
<div class="dropdown-menu scroll-menu scroll-menu-2x"
style="margin-left: 2em">
<ul class="dropdown-menu scroll-menu scroll-menu-2x">
<li>
Core Users
</li>
<li>
Admin
</li>
<li>
Some Other Role
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul class="dropdown-menu scroll-menu scroll-menu-2x">
<!-- Additional menu items omitted for brevity -->
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="dropdown-menu" style="margin-left: 2em">
<ul class="dropdown-menu">
<!-- static non-scrollable menu footer -->
</ul>
</div>
<ul class="dropdown-menu">
<li class="disabled">
<i class="icon-chevron-up pull-left"></i> <i class="icon-chevron-up pull-right"></i>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
And the CSS:
/* So we wont impact the original bootstrap menu or it's pseudo call-out
arrow the menu is wrapped in a sub dropdown-menu with a chained scroll-menu */
ul.scroll-menu {
position:relative;
display:inherit!important;
overflow-x:auto;
-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;
-moz-overflow-scrolling:touch;
-ms-overflow-scrolling:touch;
-o-overflow-scrolling:touch;
overflow-scrolling:touch;
top:0!important;
left:0!important;
width:100%;
height:auto;
max-height:500px;
margin:0;
border-left:none;
border-right:none;
-webkit-border-radius:0!important;
-moz-border-radius:0!important;
-ms-border-radius:0!important;
-o-border-radius:0!important;
border-radius:0!important;
-webkit-box-shadow:none;
-moz-box-shadow:none;
-ms-box-shadow:none;
-o-box-shadow:none;
box-shadow:none
}

Answer 1

Bootstrap 5 (update 2021)
The dropdown markup has changed for BS 5 as the data- attributes have changed to data-bs-. However, setting max-height still works to make the dropdown scrollable...
.dropdown-menu {
max-height: 280px;
overflow-y: auto;
}
https://codeply.com/p/shJzHGE84z
Bootstrap 4 (update 2018)
The dropdown markup has changed for BS 4 as the items have their own dropdown-item class. However, setting max-height still works to make the dropdown scrollable...
.dropdown-menu {
max-height: 280px;
overflow-y: auto;
}
Bootstrap scrollable dropdown
Alternative horizontal menu for Bootstrap 4 using flexbox
Bootstrap 3 (original answer)
I think you can simplify this by just adding the necessary CSS properties to your special scrollable menu class..
CSS:
.scrollable-menu {
height: auto;
max-height: 200px;
overflow-x: hidden;
}
HTML
<ul class="dropdown-menu scrollable-menu" role="menu">
<li>Action</li>
<li>Another action</li>
<li>Something else here</li>
<li>Action</li>
..
<li>Action</li>
<li>Another action</li>
</ul>
Working example: https://codeply.com/p/ox7JC49vmT

Answer 2

You can use the built-in CSS class pre-scrollable in bootstrap 3 inside the span element of the dropdown and it works immediately without implementing custom css.
<ul class="dropdown-menu pre-scrollable">
<li>item 1 </li>
<li>item 2 </li>
</ul>

Answer 3

For CSS, I found that max height of 180 is better for mobile phones landscape 320 when showing browser chrome.
.scrollable-menu {
height: auto;
max-height: 180px;
overflow-x: hidden;
}
Also, to add visible scrollbars, this CSS should do the trick:
.scrollable-menu::-webkit-scrollbar {
-webkit-appearance: none;
width: 4px;
}
.scrollable-menu::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
border-radius: 3px;
background-color: lightgray;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 1px rgba(255,255,255,.75);
}
The changes are reflected here: https://www.bootply.com/BhkCKFEELL

Answer 4

Do everything in the inline of UL tag
<ul class="dropdown-menu scrollable-menu" role="menu" style="height: auto;max-height: 200px; overflow-x: hidden;">
<li>Action</li>
<li>Another action</li>
<li>Something else here</li>
<li>Action</li>
..
<li>Action</li>
<li>Another action</li>
</ul>

Answer 5

I just fix this problem in my project-
CSS code
.scroll-menu{
min-width: 220px;
max-height: 90vh;
overflow: auto;
}
HTML code
<ul class="dropdown-menu scroll-menu" role="menu">
<li>Action</li>
<li>Another action</li>
<li>Something else here</li>
<li>Action</li>
..
<li>Action</li>
<li>Another action</li>
</ul>

Answer 6

i hope this code is work well,try this.
add css file.
.scrollbar {
height: auto;
max-height: 180px;
overflow-x: hidden;
}
HTML code:
<div class="col-sm-2 scrollable-menu" role="menu">
<div>
<ul>
<li><a class="active" href="#home">Tutorials</a></li>
<li>News</li>
<li>Contact</li>
<li>About</li>
<li>News</li>
<li>Contact</li>
<li>About</li>
<li>News</li>
<li>Contact</li>
<li>About</li>
<li>News</li>
<li>Contact</li>
<li>About</li>
<li>News</li>
<li>Contact</li>
<li>About</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>