How can I dynamically expand a component across multiple columns in a Vuetify grid layout?

Below is an overview of the issue and one way to approach it.

The Challenge

Vuetify’s grid system is built on flexbox. It lets you easily set responsive column sizes (using props like cols, md, etc.) but it does not include built‑in logic for “reordering” or “reflowing” items dynamically based on some state (like an “expanded” flag on component 1). In other words, if one component must change its column span (and push other items into new “rows”), you’ll need to change the data or template that drives the layout.

How to Approach It

A common solution is to have your items defined in an array and use a computed property that rearranges both their order and the column span values based on an “expanded” state. In the “expanded” state you can:

• Set a larger column span for component 1 (for instance, on a 12‑column grid, give it 8 instead of 4),
• Adjust the placement of the following items by reordering or by setting their spans and/or offsets appropriately.

This does mean that “the layout changes” are driven by a computed array and your v‑for loop. While you are not conditionally rendering some items using v‑if/v‑else blocks, you are “conditionally arranging” the layout. In short, Vuetify doesn’t do this reordering automatically.

A Sample Implementation

Below is an example using Vuetify 3 (with Vue’s script setup) that gives you one way to compute a layout array for the two states. (This example is simplified—you’ll likely need to adjust the spans, offsets, and even order to exactly match your desired look.)

VUECopied
<template>
  <v-container>
    <v-row>
      <v-col
        v-for="item in computedLayout"
        :key="item.id"
        :cols="item.cols"
        :md="item.md"
        :offset-md="item.offset || 0"
      >
        <v-card class="pa-2">
          <v-card-title>{{ item.title }}</v-card-title>
          <!-- Only component 1 has the expand button -->
          <v-card-actions v-if="item.id === 1">
            <v-btn @click="toggleExpand" variant="text">
              {{ expanded ? 'Collapse' : 'Expand' }}
            </v-btn>
          </v-card-actions>
        </v-card>
      </v-col>
    </v-row>
  </v-container>
</template>

<script setup>
import { ref, computed } from 'vue'

// Toggle for the expanded state
const expanded = ref(false)
const toggleExpand = () => {
  expanded.value = !expanded.value
}

// Original item list – numbering 1 to 9
const items = [
  { id: 1, title: '1' },
  { id: 2, title: '2' },
  { id: 3, title: '3' },
  { id: 4, title: '4' },
  { id: 5, title: '5' },
  { id: 6, title: '6' },
  { id: 7, title: '7' },
  { id: 8, title: '8' },
  { id: 9, title: '9' },
]

// Compute layout based on the expanded state.
// In the normal state, we assume three columns (each 4 cols on md and up).
// In the expanded state, we reassign spans and order so that:
// - Component 1 spans the first two columns of its row (e.g. 8 cols)
// - The remaining items reflow into different rows.
const computedLayout = computed(() => {
  if (!expanded.value) {
    // Normal layout: three columns per row
    // In a 12-column grid, each column gets 4 columns (12/3)
    return items.map(item => ({ ...item, cols: 12, md: 4 }))
  } else {
    // Expanded layout: custom configuration:
    //
    // Row 1: component 1 and component 7
    //   - component 1 spans 8 columns
    //   - component 7 spans 4 columns
    //
    // Row 2: components 2, 4, 8 (each taking 4 columns)
    // Row 3: components 3, 5, 9 (each taking 4 columns)
    // Row 4: component 6 takes full row (or offset for alignment)
    //
    // Note: You can adjust these values to meet your design.
    return [
      // Row 1
      { id: 1, title: '1', cols: 12, md: 8 },
      { id: 7, title: '7', cols: 12, md: 4 },
      // Row 2
      { id: 2, title: '2', cols: 12, md: 4 },
      { id: 4, title: '4', cols: 12, md: 4 },
      { id: 8, title: '8', cols: 12, md: 4 },
      // Row 3
      { id: 3, title: '3', cols: 12, md: 4 },
      { id: 5, title: '5', cols: 12, md: 4 },
      { id: 9, title: '9', cols: 12, md: 4 },
      // Row 4
      { id: 6, title: '6', cols: 12, md: 4, offset: 8 } // This pushes component 6 into the right column
    ]
  }
})
</script>

Final Thoughts

• There isn’t a way in Vuetify to “magically” reflow your grid without some computed (or conditional) adjustments to the underlying data that drives your grid’s layout.

• The solution above uses a computed property to create an array that determines the order, column span, and any needed offsets. This way you’re not using v‑if/v‑else for each component but you are still conditionally computing the layout.

• If your grid is larger or more dynamic (with n components per column), you might write a function that rearranges your array according to the current state, rather than hardcoding the items as above.

In summary, while Vuetify’s grid system is flexible, a layout that re-orders and changes column spans dynamically (as in your case) is best achieved by adjusting the data that feeds your grid rather than expecting the grid component to automatically reflow items without any conditional logic.