Element: getClientRects() method
================================

 The **`getClientRects()`** method of the `Element`
 interface returns a collection of `DOMRect` objects that indicate the
 bounding rectangles for each CSS border box in a client.

 Most elements only have one border box each, but a multiline inline-level element (such as a multiline
 `<span>` element, by default) has a border box around each line.

Syntax
------


```js
getClientRects()
```

### Parameters

None.

### Return value

 The returned value is a collection of `DOMRect` objects, one for each CSS
 border box associated with the element. Each `DOMRect` object describes the border box, in pixels, with the top-left
 relative to the top-left of the viewport. For tables with captions, the caption is
 included even though it's outside the border box of the table. When called on SVG
 elements other than an outer-`<svg>`, the "viewport" that the resulting
 rectangles are relative to is the viewport that the element's
 outer-`<svg>` establishes (and to be clear, the rectangles are also
 transformed by the outer-`<svg>`'s `viewBox` transform, if
 any).

 The amount of scrolling that has been done of the viewport area (or any other
 scrollable element) is taken into account when computing the rectangles.

 The returned rectangles do not include the bounds of any child elements that might
 happen to overflow.

 For HTML `<area>` elements, SVG elements that do not render anything
 themselves, `display:none` elements, and generally any elements that are not
 directly rendered, an empty list is returned.

 Rectangles are returned even for CSS boxes that have empty border-boxes. The
 `left`, `top`, `right`, and `bottom`
 coordinates can still be meaningful.

Fractional pixel offsets are possible.

Examples
--------

 These examples draw client rects in various colors. Note that the JavaScript function
 that paints the client rects is connected to the markup via the class
 `withClientRectsOverlay`.

### HTML

 Example 1: This HTML creates three paragraphs with a `<span>` inside,
 each embedded in a `<div>` block. Client rects are painted for the
 paragraph in the second block, and for the `<span>` element in the
 third block.


```html
<h3>A paragraph with a span inside</h3>
<p>
  Both the span and the paragraph have a border set. The client rects are in
  red. Note that the p has only one border box, while the span has multiple
  border boxes.
</p>

<div>
  <strong>Original</strong>
  <p>
    <span>Paragraph that spans multiple lines</span>
  </p>
</div>

<div>
  <strong>p's rect</strong>
  <p class="withClientRectsOverlay">
    <span>Paragraph that spans multiple lines</span>
  </p>
</div>

<div>
  <strong>span's rect</strong>
  <p>
    <span class="withClientRectsOverlay"
 >Paragraph that spans multiple lines</span
 >
  </p>
</div>
```


 Example 2: This HTML creates three ordered lists. Client rects are painted for the
 `<ol>` in the second block, and for each `<li>`
 element in the third block.


```html
<h3>A list</h3>
<p>
  Note that the border box doesn't include the number, so neither do the client
  rects.
</p>

<div>
  <strong>Original</strong>
  <ol>
    <li>Item 1</li>
    <li>Item 2</li>
  </ol>
</div>

<div>
  <strong>ol's rect</strong>
  <ol class="withClientRectsOverlay">
    <li>Item 1</li>
    <li>Item 2</li>
  </ol>
</div>

<div>
  <strong>each li's rect</strong>
  <ol>
    <li class="withClientRectsOverlay">Item 1</li>
    <li class="withClientRectsOverlay">Item 2</li>
  </ol>
</div>
```


 Example 3: This HTML creates two tables with captions. Client rects are painted for the
 `<table>` in the second block.


```html
<h3>A table with a caption</h3>
<p>
  Although the table's border box doesn't include the caption, the client rects
  do include the caption.
</p>

<div>
  <strong>Original</strong>
  <table>
    <caption>
      caption
    </caption>
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th>thead</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>tbody</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</div>

<div>
  <strong>table's rect</strong>
  <table class="withClientRectsOverlay">
    <caption>
      caption
    </caption>
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th>thead</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>tbody</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</div>
```

### CSS

 The CSS draws borders around the paragraph and the `<span>` inside
 each `<div>` block for the first example, around the
 `<ol>` and `<li>` for the second example, and around
 `<table>`, `<th>`, and `<td>`
 elements for the third example.


```css
strong {
  text-align: center;
}
div {
  display: inline-block;
  width: 150px;
}
div p,
ol,
table {
  border: 1px solid blue;
}
span,
li,
th,
td {
  border: 1px solid green;
}
```

### JavaScript

 The JavaScript code draws the client rects for all HTML elements that have CSS class
 `withClientRectsOverlay` assigned.


```js
function addClientRectsOverlay(elt) {
  /\* Absolutely position a div over each client rect so that its border width
 is the same as the rectangle's width.
 Note: the overlays will be out of place if the user resizes or zooms. \*/
  const rects = elt.getClientRects();
  for (const rect of rects) {
    const tableRectDiv = document.createElement("div");
    tableRectDiv.style.position = "absolute";
    tableRectDiv.style.border = "1px solid red";
    const scrollTop =
      document.documentElement.scrollTop || document.body.scrollTop;
    const scrollLeft =
      document.documentElement.scrollLeft || document.body.scrollLeft;
    tableRectDiv.style.margin = tableRectDiv.style.padding = "0";
    tableRectDiv.style.top = `${rect.top + scrollTop}px`;
    tableRectDiv.style.left = `${rect.left + scrollLeft}px`;
    // We want rect.width to be the border width, so content width is 2px less.
    tableRectDiv.style.width = `${rect.width - 2}px`;
    tableRectDiv.style.height = `${rect.height - 2}px`;
    document.body.appendChild(tableRectDiv);
  }
}

(() => {
  /\* Call function addClientRectsOverlay(elt) for all elements with
 assigned class "withClientRectsOverlay" \*/
  const elts = document.getElementsByClassName("withClientRectsOverlay");
  for (const elt of elts) {
    addClientRectsOverlay(elt);
  }
})();
```

### Result

Specifications
--------------

| Specification |
| --- |
| CSSOM View Module # dom-element-getclientrects |

### Notes

`getClientRects()` was first introduced in the MS IE DHTML object model.

Browser compatibility
---------------------

BCD tables only load in the browser with JavaScript enabled. Enable JavaScript to view data.

See also
--------

* `Element.getBoundingClientRect()`