Overlay utility for debugging responsive layouts in the browser
npm install breakpoint-overlay``bashnpm
npm install --save-dev breakpoint-overlay
Overlay API
$3
Creates the overlay runtime and returns an
OverlayHandle. Call this once early in your app lifecycle—keyboard shortcuts only start working after initOverlay runs so the listener can register. Repeated calls automatically destroy the previous instance before creating a new one.`ts
import { initOverlay } from '@breakpoint-overlay';const overlay = initOverlay({
breakpoints: [
{ id: 'mobile', label: 'Mobile', maxWidth: 767 },
{ id: 'desktop', label: 'Desktop', minWidth: 1200 },
],
});
`$3
| Property | Type | Default | Description |
|-----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|-------------|
|
breakpoints | Array<{ id: string; label?: string } & ({ minWidth: number; maxWidth?: never } \| { maxWidth: number; minWidth?: never } \| { minWidth: number; maxWidth: number })> | [] | Author-supplied breakpoint definitions. Leave empty to defer configuration until a later updateConfig call. |
| matchStrategy | 'min-width' \| 'max-width' \| 'range' | _inferred_ | Forces a specific matching strategy; when omitted, each breakpoint is inferred individually. |
| hotkey | string | alt+shift+o | Keyboard shortcut in modifier+...+key form (e.g. ctrl+shift+k, alt+o). Supported modifiers: alt, ctrl, shift, meta (aliases cmd/command). The final token must be a single character. Matching is case-insensitive and also checks event.code for letters/digits, so layouts that emit Ø for Alt+Shift+O still work. Use an empty string ("") to disable the shortcut entirely. |
| debounceMs | number | 150 | Debounce interval (ms) between viewport samples from the tracker. |$3
initOverlay returns an object with the following methods:-
start() – Activate the overlay badge and begin viewport tracking.
- stop() – Deactivate the overlay and reset the badge’s expanded state.
- toggle() – Convenience wrapper that switches between start() and stop().
- destroy() – Fully tear down the overlay: removes keyboard listeners, stops tracking, and unmounts the badge.
- updateConfig(patch) – Merge new configuration; updates listeners and recomputes state when properties like hotkey or breakpoints change.
- getState() – Returns the current runtime RuntimeState.
- subscribe(listener) – Registers a store subscriber; returns an unsubscribe function.$3
- The listener registers when
initOverlay creates the runtime; shortcuts do nothing until the handle exists.
- Key events with editable targets (input, textarea, select, or contenteditable elements) are ignored to avoid injecting characters while the user types.
- When the overlay handles the shortcut it calls event.preventDefault() but still leaves the event bubbling so other listeners can observe it.
- Updating config.hotkey via updateConfig` automatically tears down the previous listener and attaches the new binding.