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Dev tools · March 21, 2024

Dropflow, a CSS layout engine for node or <canvas>

For the last 5 years I've been working on a layout engine that targets CSS2 and some more modern properties. Live demo: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;chearon.github.io&#x2F;dropflow&#x2F; It matches browsers in all cases I can find where they agree, and it's fast. It supports `position`, `inline-block`, `z-index`, and complex properties like `float` and `vertical-align`. It doesn't support high-level layout like flexbox or grid yet, but you can get intrinsics to easily divide space yourself and paint multiple layout trees. It has a great text layout implementation, and supporting non-Latin scripts is a…

Dropflow, a CSS layout engine for node or <canvas> launched on March 21, 2024 with 404 votes, #58 of 4,270 launches that month and more than 99% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 2 years on.

Visit github.com ↗Alternativestop 1% of March 2024

In plain words

Dropflow is a CSS layout engine that runs on Node.js or canvas, implementing CSS2 properties and select modern features. It handles positioning, inline-block display, z-index, floats, and vertical-align, with particularly strong text layout support including non-Latin scripts. The engine prioritizes accuracy, matching browser behavior across test cases, and performance. It does not yet support flexbox or grid but provides intrinsics for custom space division and multi-tree layout. It is designed for server-side rich text rendering and canvas-based applications.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

A CSS layout engine. Contribute to chearon/dropflow development by creating an account on GitHub.

In the maker’s words, at launch

For the last 5 years I've been working on a layout engine that targets CSS2 and some more modern properties. Live demo: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;chearon.github.io&#x2F;dropflow&#x2F; It matches browsers in all cases I can find where they agree, and it's fast. It supports `position`, `inline-block`, `z-index`, and complex…

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