When should you use CSS transition vs requestAnimationFrame for a progress bar?
Use CSS transition for simple cases (just change width, let CSS animate). Use requestAnimationFrame when you need custom curves (easing), synchronized animations, or frame-by-frame control. CSS transition is simpler and usually sufficient.
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More FAQs in Progress Bar Animation Techniques in JavaScript
The simplest way is CSS transition: transition: width 0.3s ease. When you change the width via JavaScript, the browser animates it. For full control, use requestAnimationFrame with a custom animation loop.
Track elapsed time with performance.now(). Calculate progress as elapsed/duration. Set width = from + (to - from) * progress. If progress < 1, call requestAnimationFrame(step) again. This gives smooth, frame-by-frame animation.
Use a linear-gradient background with diagonal stripes (45deg). Animate background-position with @keyframes to move the stripes. This creates an indeterminate progress effect (something is happening, no specific percentage).
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