VStack

A SwiftUI VStack component for vertical layouts. Also called Column (Universal).

Expo UI VStack matches the official SwiftUI VStack API and arranges its children vertically.

Usage

Basic vertical stack

import { Host, VStack, Text } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';

export default function BasicVStackExample() {
  // Give the host a size when the stack needs room to align its children.
  return (
    <Host style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <VStack spacing={12}>
        <Text>First</Text>
        <Text>Second</Text>
        <Text>Third</Text>
      </VStack>
    </Host>
  );
}

The words First, Second, and Third stacked one above the other

With alignment

The alignment prop controls horizontal alignment of children. Available options are: leading, center, and trailing.

import { Host, VStack, Rectangle } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';
import { frame } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui/modifiers';

export default function VStackAlignmentExample() {
  return (
    <Host style={{ flex: 1 }}>
      <VStack spacing={12} alignment="leading">
        <Rectangle modifiers={[frame({ width: 50, height: 50 })]} />
        <Rectangle
          modifiers={[frame({ width: 100, height: 50 })]}
        />
        <Rectangle modifiers={[frame({ width: 75, height: 50 })]} />
      </VStack>
    </Host>
  );
}

Three rectangles of different widths stacked vertically and sharing the same left edge

API

import { VStack } from '@expo/ui/swift-ui';

Component

`VStack`

Type: React.Element<VStackProps>

VStackProps

`alignment`

Optional • Literal type: string

The horizontal alignment of children within the stack.

Acceptable values are: 'center' | 'leading' | 'trailing'

`children`

Type: ReactNode

`spacing`

Optional • Type: number

The spacing between children.

Inherited props

CommonViewModifierProps

Modifiers

Use these modifiers in the modifiers prop of the SwiftUI and Universal version.

Expo UI lets you put any of the 89 modifiers for any view on VStack, but not all of them do something here.

75 change what you see on VStack.
2 work, but not in the way that you may expect.
1 have no visible effect on VStack.
13 work only in one place, such as a widget or a Grid.

Best modifiers for VStack

These modifiers are made for VStack, or they are the ones that you use most with it.

Also works on VStack

VStack takes these modifiers too, and each one works in the usual way.

Needs care on VStack

These modifiers work on VStack, but not in the way that you may expect.

Modifier	What to know
`onLongPressGesture`	Touches on the empty space between children are not detected. Add `contentShape('rectangle')` before this modifier.
`onTapGesture`	Touches on the empty space between children are not detected. Add `contentShape('rectangle')` before this modifier.

No visible effect on VStack

VStack accepts these modifiers, but you see no change. They do not give an error.

Modifier	Why nothing happens
`zIndex`	It changes the order of views that cover each other in the same parent, and VStack does not stack its children.

Only in some places

These modifiers work only in a widget, in a Grid, in a Namespace or in a parent that asks for them.

Modifier	Where it works
`activityBackgroundTint`	Works only in a Live Activity. It has no effect in the app.
`alignmentGuide`	Has an effect only when the parent, such as a `VStack` or `ZStack`, aligns its children by the same guide.
`containerBackground`	Works only in a widget, or in a navigation container when you use a `navigation` placement.
`glassEffectId`	Works only on a view that also has `glassEffect`, in a `GlassEffectContainer` and a `Namespace`.
`gridCellAnchor` iOS 16+	Works only on a cell of a `Grid`. `Grid` is in `@expo/ui/swift-ui`, but it has no Expo docs page.
`gridCellColumns`	Works only on a view in a `Grid.Row`. `Grid` is in `@expo/ui/swift-ui`, but it has no Expo docs page.
`gridCellUnsizedAxes`	Works only on a view in a `Grid`. `Grid` is in `@expo/ui/swift-ui`, but it has no Expo docs page.
`gridColumnAlignment` iOS 16+	Works only on a view in a `Grid.Row`. `Grid` is in `@expo/ui/swift-ui`, but it has no Expo docs page.
`invalidatableContent` iOS 17+	Has an effect only when a parent view uses `redacted` with the `invalidated` reason.
`matchedGeometryEffect`	Works only in a `Namespace`. Give two views the same `id` and change between them with an animation.
`privacySensitive`	Has an effect only when a parent view uses `redacted` with the `privacy` reason.
`unredacted`	Has an effect only in a parent view that uses `redacted`.
`widgetURL`	Works only in a widget. It has no effect in the app.

Sources

The original Expo docs for this page:

VStack (SwiftUI) (source-of-truth/versions/v57.0.0/sdk/ui/swift-ui/vstack.md)
VStack (Universal) (source-of-truth/versions/v57.0.0/sdk/ui/universal/column.md)

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