A behind-the-scenes technique that lets a pop-up like a dialog or tooltip be drawn at the top level of the page rather than where it lives in the code, so it can float above everything without being cut off by its container.
Synonyms
None recorded.
Related terms
In plain words
- the trick that lets a pop-up sit on top of everything else
- how a menu escapes the little box it belongs to
Usage example
The date picker is rendered through a portal so it isn't clipped by the form's edges.
Don't confuse with…
- overlayAn overlay is what the user sees on top; a portal is the behind-the-scenes mechanism that lets that overlay escape its container.
Categories
- Overlays & containers