Move LazySpan rows through one retained offset

AGENTS.md

@@ -446,16 +446,17 @@ Each exists because something was invisible without it.
   are only reusable next frame and provisional layout nested -- grew
   the arena to **127,443 slots for 11,569 live primitives**; and nothing
   tracked *which* entries changed. Now: the stream arena is 11,569 slots
-  for 11,569 live, and every array uploads within a hair of its floor
-  (fling instances 1.0% against a 0.9% floor, stream instances 71.9%
-  against 71.8%, and stream glyphs 0.6% against 0.6%). The CPU half improved with it, since the freeing and renumbering
+  for 11,569 live, and every array uploads within a hair of its floor.
+  The CPU half improved with it, since the freeing and renumbering
   went away: a streamed frame is p50 1.39ms, from 2.20ms.
 
-  **Stream instances sit at 71.9%, against a 71.8% floor, and dirty
-  tracking is not the defect here.** The list is pinned to the newest end, so a growing reply moves
-  every row, and a row's instances carry an absolute region. That is a
-  `move_offsets` write the layout is not making -- the next thing to look
-  at, and a layout question rather than an upload one.
+  The remaining layout cost was then removed at the framework boundary:
+  `Painter::set_child_offset` gives a container one retained coordinate slot
+  for its child subtree, and `LazySpan` keeps row boxes stable behind it.
+  Pinned growth now uploads instances at **2.9% against a 2.9% floor**, from
+  71.9% against 71.8%; p50 instance upload is **1,728 bytes**, from 176,496.
+  `Primitives` also cancels dirty marks for provisional writes restored before
+  upload, so CPU-only layout states never become GPU work.
 - **The emulator is a GLES rig, deliberately** (Iris, 2026-09-08;
   docs/RUST.md). Its guest has no hardware Vulkan -- only SwiftShader
   in software -- while its GLES *is* the host's real GPU through virgl at

docs/IRIS_TODO.md

@@ -12,35 +12,6 @@ and six phone-report sections went on 2026-09-08 for that reason.
 
 ## Fix
 
-- [ ] **A row moving because the list grew should be one `move_offsets`
-  write, and today it is a redraw.** Found 2026-09-09 by
-  `scripts/rigs/ui-profile`'s `arena_churn` and left for whoever picks
-  this up next; the upload half of it is done and this is the layout
-  half.
-
-  The measurement. Over the bench fixture's 401 streamed deltas, the
-  instance arena uploads **71.9%** of itself per frame against a
-  **71.8%** floor -- those entries genuinely differ, so no amount of
-  better dirty-tracking touches it. The control that says it is wrong is
-  the fling phase on the same screen and the same content: it moves the
-  same primitives every frame and uploads **3.3%**, because a scroll
-  reaches `UiRenderState::mov` and writes one `move_offsets` delta for
-  the subtree (LAYOUT.md section 2) instead of rewriting every
-  primitive's absolute region.
-
-  The list is pinned to the newest end, so a growing reply pushes every
-  earlier row up. `draw_inner` now treats sub-pixel size differences as a
-  move and the span refactor removed nearly all repeated draws, but the
-  instance floor remains 71.8%. The remaining question is why those
-  translations still rewrite primitive regions instead of stopping at
-  the rows' move slots.
-
-  Done looks like: `arena_churn`'s `what_a_streamed_reply_uploads` shows
-  stream instances in the same range as the fling's, and its `whole`
-  column stops being the interesting one. The rig prints floor,
-  uploaded and whole per array precisely so this is checkable rather
-  than argued.
-
 - [ ] **Where the scroll *pin* lives.** The rest of "scrolling moves out
   of the list" landed on 2026-09-08 -- `List` is `LazySpan`, the physics
   and the gesture live in one `ScrollController`, `.scrollable()` is the

docs/LAYOUT.md

@@ -94,6 +94,15 @@ resolved in the vertex shader.**
 - `mov(id, delta)` becomes: look up `id`'s slot, write
   `move_offsets[slot].delta += delta`. One write — no primitive touched, no
   recursion, since descendants already reference this slot transitively.
+- A container may also retain one optional **child-coordinate slot** between
+  its own slot and every direct child's slot. `Painter::set_child_offset`
+  creates that boundary before the first child is drawn and can update it
+  after measuring a child on later redraws. The container's own primitives,
+  hit region and mask stay fixed; its whole child subtree moves through one
+  write and every existing GPU, hit-test and accessibility chain sees the
+  same result. `LazySpan` uses this while still walking visible rows for
+  virtualisation: row boxes stay in stable local coordinates and the shared
+  boundary carries the changing screen translation.
 - `shader.wgsl`'s vertex stage, after computing `top_left`/`bot_right` in
   pixels (after `:106`, before the clip-space divide at `:113`), walks
   `move_idx → move_offsets[i].parent` for a bounded number of steps (a
@@ -120,6 +129,12 @@ for a resize that changes a region's `rel` component (a genuine reflow,
 §3) and for a size-independent widget's resize (§3), where the content's
 shape doesn't change and one field write already suffices.
 
+Provisional layout can still write an instance at an intermediate position
+and restore it before upload. `Primitives::set_instance` remembers the value
+at the first write in a frame and clears the dirty bit when the final bytes
+match it. The GPU therefore observes final layout state, not CPU-only
+measurement work.
+
 ### 2b. Two more readers of "where is this widget," and masks
 
 Moving the offset into the vertex shader means `ActiveData.region` is no

docs/RUST.md

@@ -670,8 +670,10 @@ The trap that only the rig could have caught: writing an entry is not the
 same as changing it. Recycling rewrote every glyph of every moved row with
 identical bytes, marking 73% of the glyph array against 0.6% genuinely
 changed. `PrimitiveVec::set` and `Primitives::set_instance` compare before
-marking, and `arena_churn` prints both numbers so the gap cannot reopen
-unnoticed.
+marking. Layout can also write a provisional instance and restore it within
+one frame; `Primitives` remembers the pre-frame bytes and cancels that dirty
+bit when the GPU-visible result is unchanged. `arena_churn` prints both
+numbers so either gap cannot reopen unnoticed.
 
 **Layout has no measurement mode.** A widget is drawn provisionally only
 when its size cannot be known yet, and that retained drawing is moved into
@@ -685,12 +687,16 @@ Measured over the fixture's 401 streamed events: the busiest frame makes
 Streamed-frame CPU p50 is 0.35ms, from 1.18ms before this layout change.
 Arena size and upload floors are unchanged.
 
-**What is left, and it is a layout question rather than an upload one.**
-Stream instances upload 71.9%, against a 71.8% floor: the list is pinned to
-the newest end, so a growing reply moves every row, and a row's instances
-carry an absolute region. Moving a subtree is supposed to be one
-`move_offsets` write (LAYOUT.md section 2); something on this path is
-redrawing instead.
+Pinned growth now uses the same subtree translation as scrolling. A
+container can retain a child-coordinate move slot through
+`Painter::set_child_offset`; `LazySpan` keeps retained rows in stable local
+boxes and changes that one slot when its anchor moves. It still walks the
+visible run to virtualise it, but unchanged rows no longer acquire new
+absolute primitive regions. Over the fixture's 401 streamed events, instance
+upload is **2.9% against a 2.9% floor**, from 71.9% against 71.8%; median
+instance bytes per frame are **1,728**, from 176,496. This is framework
+layout/rendering behaviour and the transcript screen contains no special
+case for it.
 
 ### The Android release profile is `opt-level = 3`, not `"s"` (2026-09-09)
 

docs/SCROLL.md

@@ -272,18 +272,21 @@ cannot pan; there is a `debug_assert` in `drag` naming that.
 
 ## Measurements worth not re-taking
 
-- A settled scroll tick of a `LazySpan` with 31 rows on screen:
-  **1 real draw and 31 move-slot writes**, no primitive rewrites and no
-  text reshaped. An idle frame is `(0, 0, 0, 0)` — `draw_inner` does not
-  even enter the widget. This is the number any "store the edges and only
-  recompute what changed" optimisation would have to beat, and it is why
-  the walk was left alone.
+- A settled scroll tick of a `LazySpan`, for 20, 200 or 2,000 total rows:
+  **1 real draw and 1 child-coordinate move-slot write**, no primitive
+  rewrites and no text reshaped. The visible-row walk remains: it is what
+  admits and retires rows at the viewport boundary, and a newly admitted row
+  has real initial-placement work of its own. An idle frame is `(0, 0, 0,
+  0)` — `draw_inner` does not even enter the widget.
 - A fully hinted `Span` draws each child once. Unknown fixed children draw
   provisionally and move; region-dependent children redraw if their final
   box has a different size.
-- The one design that would collapse those 31 moves into a single delta
-  write is moving the content as a unit, which needs a content length —
-  which a lazy layout cannot supply.
+- Moving the currently retained run as a unit does **not** require the lazy
+  span's unknowable total content length. Its anchor supplies the relation
+  between stable local row boxes and their desired screen boxes; one retained
+  child-coordinate slot carries that translation. The offset is occasionally
+  rebased after 65,536 pixels to preserve `f32` precision, a rare O(visible)
+  move-slot pass rather than steady-state work.
 
 ## Tests that pin the behaviour
 

iris/core/src/render/primitive.rs

@@ -143,6 +143,13 @@ macro_rules! primitives {
 /// compacted, so a `Mask` can hold a slot across frames.
 pub struct Primitives {
     instances: Vec<PrimitiveInstance>,
+    /// The value a slot held before its first rewrite since the last
+    /// upload. Layout may place a widget provisionally and restore it in
+    /// the same frame; remembering the pre-frame value lets `set_instance`
+    /// clear that dirty bit instead of uploading a change the GPU never
+    /// needs to observe. Entries are overwritten on the next clean-to-dirty
+    /// transition, so no separate end-of-frame sweep is needed.
+    original_instances: Vec<Option<PrimitiveInstance>>,
     assoc: Vec<WidgetId>,
     /// Where each slot's [`PrimitiveHandle`] sits in its owner's
     /// `ActiveData::primitives` -- the index that makes
@@ -179,6 +186,7 @@ impl Default for Primitives {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
             instances: Default::default(),
+            original_instances: Default::default(),
             assoc: Default::default(),
             handle_idx: Default::default(),
             freed: Vec::new(),
@@ -251,11 +259,13 @@ impl Primitives {
     fn push(&mut self, inst: PrimitiveInstance, id: WidgetId) -> u32 {
         let slot = if let Some(i) = self.reusable.pop() {
             self.instances[i] = inst;
+            self.original_instances[i] = None;
             self.assoc[i] = id;
             self.handle_idx[i] = Self::NO_HANDLE;
             i
         } else {
             self.instances.push(inst);
+            self.original_instances.push(None);
             self.assoc.push(id);
             self.handle_idx.push(Self::NO_HANDLE);
             self.instances.len() - 1
@@ -342,9 +352,19 @@ impl Primitives {
         if bytemuck::bytes_of(&self.instances[slot]) == bytemuck::bytes_of(&inst) {
             return;
         }
+        if !self.dirty.contains(slot) {
+            self.original_instances[slot] = Some(self.instances[slot]);
+        }
         self.instances[slot] = inst;
+        if self.original_instances[slot]
+            .is_some_and(|original| bytemuck::bytes_of(&original) == bytemuck::bytes_of(&inst))
+        {
+            self.original_instances[slot] = None;
+            self.dirty.unmark(slot);
+        } else {
             self.dirty.mark(slot);
         }
+    }
 
     /// Retires a slot, answering the mask it was drawn under so the caller
     /// can drop that mask's ref. The slot itself only becomes reusable at
@@ -392,6 +412,7 @@ impl Primitives {
     pub fn clear(&mut self) {
         self.dirty.mark_all();
         self.instances.clear();
+        self.original_instances.clear();
         self.assoc.clear();
         self.handle_idx.clear();
         self.freed.clear();
@@ -464,7 +485,13 @@ impl Primitives {
     }
 
     pub fn region_mut(&mut self, h: &PrimitiveHandle) -> &mut UiRegion {
-        self.dirty.mark(h.slot as usize);
+        let slot = h.slot as usize;
+        // The caller receives unrestricted mutable access, so this path
+        // cannot tell whether a later write restored the prior bytes. Leave
+        // the entry dirty rather than letting a stale `set_instance` baseline
+        // cancel it.
+        self.original_instances[slot] = None;
+        self.dirty.mark(slot);
         &mut self.instances[h.slot as usize].region
     }
 }
@@ -785,3 +812,45 @@ impl<T> Deref for PrimitiveVec<T> {
         &self.vec
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::{UiVec2, Widgets, util::Id};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_instance_restored_before_upload_is_clean() {
+        let mut primitives = Primitives::default();
+        let mut widgets = Widgets::new();
+        let widget = widgets.add_strong(());
+        let owner = widget.id();
+        let original = PrimitiveInstance {
+            region: UiRegion::FULL,
+            binding: RectPrimitive::BINDING,
+            idx: 0,
+            mask_idx: MaskIdx::NONE,
+            move_idx: Id::preset(0),
+        };
+        primitives.push(original, owner);
+        primitives.dirty.clear();
+
+        let mut moved = original;
+        moved.region = moved.region.offset(UiVec2::abs((0.0, 20.0)));
+        primitives.set_instance(0, moved, owner);
+        assert!(!primitives.dirty.is_clean());
+
+        primitives.set_instance(0, original, owner);
+        assert!(
+            primitives.dirty.is_clean(),
+            "the GPU never observes the provisional position"
+        );
+
+        // A subsequent frame takes its baseline from the value currently in
+        // the arena, rather than reusing the now-stale original above.
+        primitives.set_instance(0, moved, owner);
+        assert!(!primitives.dirty.is_clean());
+        primitives.dirty.clear();
+        primitives.set_instance(0, original, owner);
+        assert!(!primitives.dirty.is_clean());
+    }
+}

iris/core/src/ui/active.rs

@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ pub struct ActiveData {
     pub size: Size,
     /// Retained so descendants' parent links stay valid across redraws.
     pub move_slot: MoveIdx,
+    /// The optional coordinate boundary between this widget and its direct
+    /// children. Descendants retain links to it across redraws, just as they
+    /// do to `move_slot`.
+    pub child_move_slot: Option<MoveIdx>,
     /// The part of this widget's move delta already folded into `region`.
     pub move_applied: Vec2,
 }

iris/core/src/ui/mod.rs

@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@ pub struct UiData {
     pub textures: Textures,
     pub text: TextData,
     pub masks: TrackedArena<Mask, u32>,
-    /// One entry per widget ever drawn, forming the parent-linked chain
-    /// `resolve_move` walks in both shader stages. Allocated once on a
-    /// widget's first draw and reused for every later redraw of the same
-    /// id (never reallocated), so a retained descendant's `parent` index
-    /// never goes stale -- see LAYOUT.md section 2.
+    /// One entry per widget ever drawn, plus optional child-coordinate
+    /// boundaries owned by containers. Together they form the parent-linked
+    /// chain `resolve_move` walks in both shader stages. A widget's ordinary
+    /// entry is allocated once on its first draw and reused for every later
+    /// redraw of the same id, so a retained descendant's `parent` index never
+    /// goes stale -- see LAYOUT.md section 2.
     pub move_offsets: TrackedArena<MoveOffset, u32>,
     /// Every widget whose [`crate::Widget::tick`] should run before the
     /// next frame -- today, a `LazySpan` coasting through a fling. Added by

iris/core/src/ui/painter.rs

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use crate::{
-    Axis, Color, Len, RegionAlign, RenderedText, Size, StrongWidget, TextAttrs, TextBuffer,
-    TextData, TextureHandle, UiRegion, UiRenderState, UiRsc, UiScalar, UiVec2, WidgetId,
+    Axis, Color, Len, MoveOffset, RegionAlign, RenderedText, Size, StrongWidget, TextAttrs,
+    TextBuffer, TextData, TextureHandle, UiRegion, UiRenderState, UiRsc, UiScalar, UiVec2,
+    WidgetId,
     render::{
         Drawn, GlyphPrimitive, IMAGE_BINDING, Mask, MaskIdx, MoveIdx, NOT_DRAWN, Primitive,
         PrimitiveHandle, PrimitiveInst, RectPrimitive,
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ pub struct Painter<'a> {
     pub(super) region: UiRegion,
     pub(super) mask: MaskIdx,
     pub(super) move_slot: MoveIdx,
+    pub(super) child_move_slot: Option<MoveIdx>,
     /// This widget's retained mask slot.
     pub(super) own_mask: MaskIdx,
     pub(super) textures: Vec<TextureHandle>,
@@ -217,6 +219,47 @@ impl<'a> Painter<'a> {
         self.widget_at(id, region.within(&self.region))
     }
 
+    /// Translate this widget's children as one retained subtree, in output
+    /// pixels. The first call must happen before drawing a child, because the
+    /// slot becomes the parent of every direct child's ordinary move slot.
+    /// Once retained, it may be updated later in a redraw (for example after
+    /// measuring a changed child). All deeper descendants inherit it and the
+    /// CPU hit-test walk resolves the same translation as the shader.
+    ///
+    /// This offsets the child coordinate space, not this widget: its own
+    /// primitives and hit region remain fixed. Once allocated, the boundary
+    /// stays in the chain across redraws; set it to zero to return children to
+    /// their unshifted positions.
+    pub fn set_child_offset(&mut self, offset: Vec2) {
+        let slot = match self.child_move_slot {
+            Some(slot) => slot,
+            None => {
+                assert!(
+                    self.children.is_empty(),
+                    "a child offset must be created before drawing a child"
+                );
+                let parent = self.move_slot.idx() as u32;
+                let slot = self
+                    .rsc
+                    .ui_mut()
+                    .move_offsets
+                    .push(MoveOffset::new([offset.x, offset.y], parent));
+                // One ref for this widget's ownership and one on the
+                // up-link. Direct children take their own refs when their
+                // move slots are allocated.
+                self.rsc.ui_mut().move_offsets.push_ref(slot);
+                self.rsc.ui_mut().move_offsets.push_ref(self.move_slot);
+                self.child_move_slot = Some(slot);
+                return;
+            }
+        };
+        let next = [offset.x, offset.y];
+        if self.rsc.ui().move_offsets[slot.idx()].delta != next {
+            self.rsc.ui_mut().move_offsets.get_mut(slot).delta = next;
+            self.state.note_move();
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn known_len<W: ?Sized>(&self, id: &StrongWidget<W>, axis: Axis) -> Option<Len> {
         if let Some(len) = self.rsc.widgets().get_dyn(id.id())?.size_hint(axis) {
             return Some(len.fold_dp(self.density()));
@@ -236,12 +279,13 @@ impl<'a> Painter<'a> {
         // call -- would always find nothing. `self.move_slot` is this
         // widget's own slot, already known, and always correct regardless
         // of insertion order. See `UiRenderState::move_parent_of`.
+        let parent_move_slot = self.child_move_slot.unwrap_or(self.move_slot);
         self.state.draw_inner(
             self.layer,
             id.id(),
             region,
             Some(self.id),
-            self.move_slot.idx() as u32,
+            parent_move_slot.idx() as u32,
             self.mask,
             Retained::default(),
             self.rsc,
@@ -261,12 +305,13 @@ impl<'a> Painter<'a> {
         } else if let Some((layer, mask)) = retained {
             self.children.push(id.id());
             self.rsc.widgets_mut().needs_redraw.insert(id.id());
+            let parent_move_slot = self.child_move_slot.unwrap_or(self.move_slot);
             self.state.draw_inner(
                 layer,
                 id.id(),
                 region,
                 Some(self.id),
-                self.move_slot.idx() as u32,
+                parent_move_slot.idx() as u32,
                 mask,
                 Retained::default(),
                 self.rsc,

iris/core/src/ui/render_state.rs

@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ pub(crate) struct Retained {
     pub region: Option<UiRegion>,
     pub children: Vec<WidgetId>,
     pub move_slot: Option<MoveIdx>,
+    pub child_move_slot: Option<MoveIdx>,
     pub own_mask: MaskIdx,
     pub primitives: Vec<PrimitiveHandle>,
 }
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ impl Default for Retained {
             region: None,
             children: Vec::new(),
             move_slot: None,
+            child_move_slot: None,
             own_mask: MaskIdx::NONE,
             primitives: Vec::new(),
         }
@@ -173,6 +175,10 @@ impl UiRenderState {
         )
     }
 
+    pub(super) fn note_move(&mut self) {
+        self.mov_count += 1;
+    }
+
     /// Writes a primitive into the arena and, unless it is
     /// [`Drawn::No`], into `layer`'s draw order.
     pub(super) fn write_primitive<P: Primitive>(
@@ -446,6 +452,7 @@ impl UiRenderState {
             region: mut old_region,
             children: mut old_children,
             move_slot: mut old_move_slot,
+            mut child_move_slot,
             mut own_mask,
             primitives: mut recycle,
         } = retained;
@@ -498,6 +505,7 @@ impl UiRenderState {
             old_region = Some(active.region);
             old_children = active.children;
             old_move_slot = Some(active.move_slot);
+            child_move_slot = active.child_move_slot;
             own_mask = active.own_mask;
             recycle = active.primitives;
         } else if self.active.contains_key(&id) {
@@ -512,6 +520,7 @@ impl UiRenderState {
             old_region = Some(active.region);
             old_children = active.children;
             old_move_slot = Some(active.move_slot);
+            child_move_slot = active.child_move_slot;
             own_mask = active.own_mask;
             recycle = active.primitives;
         }
@@ -533,6 +542,7 @@ impl UiRenderState {
             region,
             mask,
             move_slot,
+            child_move_slot,
             own_mask,
             layer,
             id,
@@ -577,6 +587,7 @@ impl UiRenderState {
             region,
             mask: _,
             move_slot,
+            child_move_slot,
             own_mask,
             textures,
             primitives,
@@ -608,6 +619,7 @@ impl UiRenderState {
             layer,
             size,
             move_slot,
+            child_move_slot,
             own_mask,
             move_applied: Vec2::ZERO,
         };
@@ -804,6 +816,18 @@ impl UiRenderState {
                         rsc.ui_mut().masks.remove(outer);
                     }
                 }
+                // The self-ownership ref held by this widget's optional
+                // child-coordinate slot, plus that slot's link to this
+                // widget's ordinary move slot. Direct children may still
+                // hold the slot alive until `remove_rec` reaches them, the
+                // same lifetime shape as `move_slot` immediately below.
+                if let Some(slot) = active.child_move_slot {
+                    let parent_slot = rsc.ui().move_offsets[slot.idx()].parent;
+                    rsc.ui_mut().move_offsets.remove(slot);
+                    if parent_slot != MoveOffset::NONE_PARENT {
+                        rsc.ui_mut().move_offsets.remove(Id::preset(parent_slot));
+                    }
+                }
                 let parent_slot = rsc.ui_mut().move_offsets[active.move_slot.idx()].parent;
                 rsc.ui_mut().move_offsets.remove(active.move_slot);
                 if parent_slot != MoveOffset::NONE_PARENT {
@@ -1213,6 +1237,7 @@ impl UiRenderState {
                 region: Some(active.region),
                 children: active.children,
                 move_slot: Some(active.move_slot),
+                child_move_slot: active.child_move_slot,
                 own_mask: active.own_mask,
                 primitives: active.primitives,
             },

iris/core/src/util/dirty.rs

@@ -45,6 +45,26 @@ impl Dirty {
         self.words[word] |= 1 << (i % 64);
     }
 
+    pub fn contains(&self, i: usize) -> bool {
+        self.all
+            || self
+                .words
+                .get(i / 64)
+                .is_some_and(|word| word & (1 << (i % 64)) != 0)
+    }
+
+    /// Clear one entry that was restored to the value already on the GPU.
+    /// `all` has no per-entry representation and is used only when every
+    /// byte must be uploaded regardless of later writes, so it stays set.
+    pub fn unmark(&mut self, i: usize) {
+        if self.all {
+            return;
+        }
+        if let Some(word) = self.words.get_mut(i / 64) {
+            *word &= !(1 << (i % 64));
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Everything must be written: the buffer was reallocated (its
     /// contents are undefined), or the array was cleared.
     pub fn mark_all(&mut self) {
@@ -114,6 +134,17 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(marked(&[3, 4, 5], 64, 0), vec![3..6]);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_restored_entry_can_be_unmarked() {
+        let mut dirty = Dirty::default();
+        dirty.mark(3);
+        dirty.mark(5);
+        assert!(dirty.contains(3));
+        dirty.unmark(3);
+        assert!(!dirty.contains(3));
+        assert_eq!(dirty.ranges(8, 0), vec![5..6]);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn a_run_that_crosses_a_word_boundary_is_one_range() {
         assert_eq!(marked(&[62, 63, 64, 65], 128, 0), vec![62..66]);

iris/src/layout_tests.rs

@@ -37,6 +37,67 @@ impl Widget for FixedRect {
     }
 }
 
+struct ChildOffset {
+    child: StrongWidget,
+    offset: Vec2,
+}
+
+impl Widget for ChildOffset {
+    fn draw(&mut self, painter: &mut Painter) -> Size {
+        painter.set_child_offset(self.offset);
+        painter.widget(&self.child)
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn a_child_coordinate_offset_moves_only_the_child_subtree() {
+    let mut rsc = TestRsc {
+        ui: UiData::default(),
+    };
+    let child = rsc.ui.widgets.add_strong(FixedRect(40.0));
+    let child_weak = child.weak();
+    let parent = rsc.ui.widgets.add_strong(ChildOffset {
+        child: child.any(),
+        offset: vec2(0.0, 15.0),
+    });
+    let parent_weak = parent.weak();
+    // Keep the coordinate-owning widget below the root: a nested widget is
+    // normally redrawn when its parent visits it, which takes a different
+    // retained-state path from `UiRenderState::redraw` on the root itself.
+    let outer = rsc.ui.widgets.add_strong(Sized {
+        inner: parent.any(),
+        x: None,
+        y: None,
+    });
+    let outer_weak = outer.weak();
+    let root = outer.any();
+    let mut render = UiRenderState::new();
+    render.resize((100.0, 100.0));
+    render.update(&root, &mut rsc);
+    render.take_counters();
+
+    let parent_before = render.window_region(&parent_weak, &rsc).unwrap();
+    let child_before = render.window_region(&child_weak, &rsc).unwrap();
+    assert!((parent_before.top_left.y - 0.0).abs() < 0.01);
+    assert!((child_before.top_left.y - 15.0).abs() < 0.01);
+
+    rsc.ui.widgets.get_mut(&parent_weak).unwrap().offset.y = 35.0;
+    // Force the ordinary ancestor-redraw path rather than letting the
+    // renderer visit only the dirty descendant directly.
+    rsc.ui.widgets.get_mut(&outer_weak).unwrap().x = None;
+    render.update(&root, &mut rsc);
+    let (draws, rewrites, moves, _shapes) = render.take_counters();
+    let parent_after = render.window_region(&parent_weak, &rsc).unwrap();
+    let child_after = render.window_region(&child_weak, &rsc).unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!((draws, rewrites, moves), (2, 0, 1));
+    assert_eq!(
+        parent_after, parent_before,
+        "the container itself stays put"
+    );
+    assert!((child_after.top_left.y - 35.0).abs() < 0.01);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn a_hinted_rest_draws_once_and_only_moves_the_fixed_child_after_it() {
     let mut rsc = TestRsc {

iris/src/widget/position/lazy_span.rs

@@ -141,6 +141,11 @@ pub struct LazySpan {
     extents: HashMap<RowKey, RowExtent>,
     /// Last reported height, pruned when its row is evicted.
     heights: HashMap<RowKey, f32>,
+    /// Direction-relative translation applied to every row through one
+    /// retained child-coordinate slot. Row regions subtract this value, so
+    /// changing it moves the visible run without changing any retained row's
+    /// own geometry.
+    content_offset: f32,
     /// Whether the last walk found no more content before the leading
     /// edge *and* nothing left to give back there -- what
     /// [`Self::overscroll_gap`] reads. `false` by default, matching
@@ -190,6 +195,7 @@ impl LazySpan {
             pending_tap: None,
             extents: HashMap::default(),
             heights: HashMap::default(),
+            content_offset: 0.0,
         }
     }
 
@@ -309,6 +315,7 @@ impl LazySpan {
         self.ctl.set_pinned_to_end(true);
         self.heights.clear();
         self.extents.clear();
+        self.content_offset = 0.0;
     }
 
     /// Move the anchor's edge by `amt` pixels, where positive brings
@@ -725,7 +732,7 @@ impl LazySpan {
     /// Called a second time in the same `draw` when the first pass lands
     /// off the end of the content -- see [`Self::overscroll_gap`] and
     /// `draw`.
-    fn lay_out(&mut self, painter: &mut Painter) -> (f32, f32) {
+    fn lay_out(&mut self, painter: &mut Painter, stable_anchor_lead: Option<f32>) -> (f32, f32) {
         let anchor = self
             .anchor
             .expect("lay_out with no anchor: `draw` returns before this without one");
@@ -733,14 +740,15 @@ impl LazySpan {
             Edge::Leading => Placement::Leading(anchor.offset),
             Edge::Trailing => Placement::Trailing(anchor.offset),
         };
-        let (mut lead, mut trail) = self.place(painter, anchor.slot, placement);
+        let (mut lead, mut trail) =
+            self.place(painter, anchor.slot, placement, stable_anchor_lead, true);
 
         let mut idx_lead = anchor.slot;
         while lead > 0.0 {
             let Some(prev) = self.prev_slot(idx_lead) else {
                 break;
             };
-            let (l, _) = self.place(painter, prev, Placement::Trailing(lead));
+            let (l, _) = self.place(painter, prev, Placement::Trailing(lead), None, false);
             lead = l;
             idx_lead = prev;
         }
@@ -750,7 +758,7 @@ impl LazySpan {
             let Some(next) = self.next_slot(idx_trail) else {
                 break;
             };
-            let (_, t) = self.place(painter, next, Placement::Leading(trail));
+            let (_, t) = self.place(painter, next, Placement::Leading(trail), None, false);
             trail = t;
             idx_trail = next;
         }
@@ -837,8 +845,48 @@ impl LazySpan {
         region
     }
 
+    /// A row's stable local box. `lead`/`trail` are where it belongs on
+    /// screen; the child-coordinate move slot adds `content_offset` back in
+    /// the shader and in `resolved_region`.
+    fn row_region(&self, lead: f32, trail: f32) -> UiRegion {
+        Self::abs_region(
+            self.dir,
+            lead - self.content_offset,
+            trail - self.content_offset,
+        )
+    }
+
+    fn apply_content_offset(&self, painter: &mut Painter) {
+        let screen_offset = match self.dir.sign {
+            Sign::Pos => self.content_offset,
+            Sign::Neg => -self.content_offset,
+        };
+        painter.set_child_offset(Vec2::from_axis(self.dir.axis, screen_offset, 0.0));
+    }
+
+    fn rebase_content_offset(&mut self) {
+        if self.content_offset.abs() >= CONTENT_OFFSET_REBASE {
+            self.content_offset = 0.0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Keep an anchor row's local leading edge unchanged while its desired
+    /// on-screen leading edge moves. Scrolling and end-pinned growth can then
+    /// move the visible run through one child-coordinate write.
+    fn stabilize_lead(&mut self, painter: &mut Painter, from: f32, to: f32) {
+        self.content_offset += to - from;
+        self.apply_content_offset(painter);
+    }
+
     /// Place a row and remember its height for later walks.
-    fn place(&mut self, painter: &mut Painter, slot: isize, placement: Placement) -> (f32, f32) {
+    fn place(
+        &mut self,
+        painter: &mut Painter,
+        slot: isize,
+        placement: Placement,
+        stable_lead: Option<f32>,
+        is_anchor: bool,
+    ) -> (f32, f32) {
         debug_assert!(
             self.slot_exists(slot),
             "place() called with a slot that doesn't exist: {slot:?}"
@@ -856,37 +904,69 @@ impl LazySpan {
         };
         let key = self.slot_key(slot);
         let cached = key.and_then(|k| self.heights.get(&k).copied());
+        // A dirty descendant is redrawn before its changed size bubbles up
+        // to this list. By the time the anchored row is placed, its retained
+        // draw can therefore already report the new height without another
+        // provisional row draw. This is deliberately anchor-only: the walk
+        // has no old on-screen reference with which to stabilize another
+        // row's coordinate space.
+        let known_anchor_height = (is_anchor && stable_lead.is_some()).then(|| {
+            painter.known_len(self.slot_widget(slot), axis).map(|len| {
+                len.apply_rest(density)
+                    .within_len(container_len)
+                    .to_abs(output_len)
+            })
+        });
+        let known_anchor_height = known_anchor_height.flatten();
 
         if let Some(h) = cached {
-            let (lead, trail) = placement.edges(h);
+            let (lead, trail) = placement.edges(known_anchor_height.unwrap_or(h));
+            if let Some(old_lead) = stable_lead {
+                self.stabilize_lead(painter, old_lead, lead);
+            }
             if !self.intersects_viewport(lead, trail) {
                 return (lead, trail);
             }
         }
 
-        let widget = self.slot_widget(slot);
-        let height = match cached {
-            Some(h) => {
+        let height = match (cached, known_anchor_height) {
+            (Some(_), Some(height)) => {
+                let (lead, trail) = placement.edges(height);
+                let region = self.row_region(lead, trail);
+                painter.widget_within(self.slot_widget(slot), region);
+                height
+            }
+            (Some(h), None) => {
                 let (lead, trail) = placement.edges(h);
-                let used = painter.widget_within(widget, Self::abs_region(dir, lead, trail));
+                let region = self.row_region(lead, trail);
+                let used = painter.widget_within(self.slot_widget(slot), region);
                 let height = resolve(used);
                 if height != h {
-                    let (lead, trail) = placement.edges(height);
-                    painter.place(widget, Self::abs_region(dir, lead, trail));
+                    let (new_lead, new_trail) = placement.edges(height);
+                    if stable_lead.is_some() {
+                        self.stabilize_lead(painter, lead, new_lead);
+                    }
+                    let region = self.row_region(new_lead, new_trail);
+                    painter.place(self.slot_widget(slot), region);
                 }
                 height
             }
-            None => {
+            (None, None) => {
                 let measure_from = match placement {
                     Placement::Leading(lead) => lead,
                     Placement::Trailing(_) => 0.0,
                 };
-                let first = Self::abs_region(dir, measure_from, measure_from + GENEROUS_PADDING);
-                let height = resolve(painter.widget_within(widget, first));
+                let first = self.row_region(measure_from, measure_from + GENEROUS_PADDING);
+                let height = resolve(painter.widget_within(self.slot_widget(slot), first));
                 let (lead, trail) = placement.edges(height);
-                painter.place(widget, Self::abs_region(dir, lead, trail));
+                if is_anchor {
+                    self.stabilize_lead(painter, measure_from, lead);
+                }
+                let region = self.row_region(lead, trail);
+                painter.place(self.slot_widget(slot), region);
                 height
             }
+            (None, Some(_)) => unreachable!("an uncached row has no retained height"),
         };
         let (lead, trail) = placement.edges(height);
         if let Some(k) = key {
@@ -902,6 +982,11 @@ impl LazySpan {
 /// Primary-axis room for a row whose extent is not cached yet.
 const GENEROUS_PADDING: f32 = 100_000.0;
 
+/// Keep stable local row coordinates precise over an indefinitely long
+/// scroll. Crossing this costs one rare O(visible) rebase of row move slots;
+/// ordinary ticks remain one child-coordinate write.
+const CONTENT_OFFSET_REBASE: f32 = 65_536.0;
+
 impl LazySpan {
     /// Make this span scrollable: the wheel and a finger drag, registered
     /// on the span itself.
@@ -1022,9 +1107,17 @@ impl Widget for LazySpan {
         if let Some(tap) = self.pending_tap.take() {
             self.reanchor_at_tap(tap);
         }
+        self.rebase_content_offset();
+        let stable_anchor_lead = self.anchor.and_then(|anchor| {
+            self.extents
+                .values()
+                .find(|extent| extent.slot == anchor.slot)
+                .map(|extent| extent.lead)
+        });
         self.extents.clear();
+        self.apply_content_offset(painter);
 
-        let (lead, trail) = self.lay_out(painter);
+        let (lead, trail) = self.lay_out(painter, stable_anchor_lead);
 
         // **The clamp is applied inside the frame that found it**, not
         // marked for the next one: layout is a pure function of the state
@@ -1047,9 +1140,15 @@ impl Widget for LazySpan {
         // box at a new offset, which `draw_inner` dispatches as an O(1)
         // move.
         if let Some(gap) = self.overscroll_gap(lead, trail) {
+            let stable_anchor_lead = self.anchor.and_then(|anchor| {
+                self.extents
+                    .values()
+                    .find(|extent| extent.slot == anchor.slot)
+                    .map(|extent| extent.lead)
+            });
             self.move_anchor(gap);
             self.extents.clear();
-            self.lay_out(painter);
+            self.lay_out(painter, stable_anchor_lead);
         }
 
         self.rehome_anchor();
@@ -1200,13 +1299,12 @@ mod tests {
     /// is `dir` -- and the newest row moves from the bottom of the screen
     /// to the top.
     ///
-    /// Asserts on **where each row was actually drawn**
-    /// (`UiRenderState::active`), not on `extents`: those are kept in the
-    /// walk's own direction-relative space and converted on the way out,
-    /// so an `extent()`-only test passes even with the flip in
-    /// `abs_region` deleted -- it would be checking the bookkeeping
-    /// against itself while every row painted at the mirror of where it
-    /// belongs.
+    /// Asserts on each row's **resolved window region**, not on `extents`:
+    /// those are kept in the walk's own direction-relative space and
+    /// converted on the way out, so an `extent()`-only test passes even with
+    /// the flip in `abs_region` deleted. The resolved region also includes
+    /// the child-coordinate offset that now keeps retained row geometry
+    /// stable.
     #[test]
     fn a_dir_up_span_grows_upward_from_item_zero() {
         let mut rsc = TestRsc {
@@ -1221,7 +1319,9 @@ mod tests {
         render.update(&root, &mut rsc);
 
         let drawn = |render: &UiRenderState, row: &WeakWidget<Sized>| {
-            let px = render.active[&row.id()].region.to_px((100.0, 100.0).into());
+            let px = render
+                .window_region(row, &rsc)
+                .expect("every short-list row is drawn");
             (px.top_left.y, px.bot_right.y)
         };
         assert_eq!(
@@ -1297,16 +1397,16 @@ mod tests {
 
             // Row 4 is on screen in both spans now, and stays drawn
             // across a move this small whichever way it goes.
-            let top = |render: &UiRenderState| {
-                render.active[&rows[4].id()]
-                    .region
-                    .to_px((100.0, 100.0).into())
+            let top = |render: &UiRenderState, rsc: &TestRsc| {
+                render
+                    .window_region(&rows[4], rsc)
+                    .expect("row 4 is still drawn")
                     .top_left
                     .y
             };
-            let before = top(&render);
+            let before = top(&render, &rsc);
             push(&mut rsc, &mut render, -10.0);
-            top(&render) - before
+            top(&render, &rsc) - before
         };
 
         for dir in [Dir::DOWN, Dir::UP] {
@@ -1445,7 +1545,14 @@ mod tests {
                 rsc.ui.widgets.get_mut(&fg).unwrap().y = Some(Len::abs(new_height));
                 render.update(&root, &mut rsc);
 
-                let px = render.active[&bg_id].region.to_px((100.0, 100.0).into());
+                let px = render
+                    .active
+                    .get(&bg_id)
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                        panic!("row {key_to_change} resized to {new_height}px lost its background")
+                    })
+                    .region
+                    .to_px((100.0, 100.0).into());
                 let drawn = px.size().y;
                 assert!(
                     (drawn - new_height).abs() < 0.5,
@@ -1664,19 +1771,79 @@ mod tests {
             // overscroll, and the clamp lays out a second time within the
             // frame to give it back -- a correct extra pass, but not the
             // ordinary scroll tick whose cost this test is about.
+            // Admit any row touching the viewport's leading edge first; its
+            // initial placement is real virtualization work, not movement of
+            // the already-retained run.
             rsc.ui.widgets.get_mut(&list_weak).unwrap().scroll(5.0);
             render.update(&root, &mut rsc);
+            render.take_counters();
+
+            rsc.ui.widgets.get_mut(&list_weak).unwrap().scroll(1.0);
+            render.update(&root, &mut rsc);
             let (draws, _rewrites, moves, _shapes) = render.take_counters();
 
-            // The visible window is a fixed ~10 rows regardless of n; an
-            // O(n) regression would show up as draws/moves scaling with
-            // list size instead of staying flat.
-            assert!(draws <= 12, "n={n}: expected O(visible), got {draws} draws");
-            assert!(moves >= 1, "n={n}: a scroll tick should move something");
-            assert!(moves <= 12, "n={n}: expected O(visible) moves, got {moves}");
+            // The visible window is a fixed ~10 rows regardless of n. The
+            // row walk still runs so virtualization can admit and retire
+            // rows, but every retained row shares the list's one child
+            // coordinate move.
+            assert_eq!(draws, 1, "n={n}: only the list should really draw");
+            assert_eq!(moves, 1, "n={n}: the whole retained run should move once");
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_large_accumulated_offset_rebases_without_moving_the_content() {
+        let mut rsc = TestRsc {
+            ui: UiData::default(),
+        };
+        let mut list = LazySpan::new(Dir::DOWN, Pin::End);
+        let keys: Vec<RowKey> = (0..100).collect();
+        let rows = push_rows(&mut rsc, &mut list, &keys, 1_000.0);
+        let (list_weak, root) = add_list(&mut rsc, list);
+
+        let mut render = UiRenderState::new();
+        render.resize((100.0, 200.0));
+        render.update(&root, &mut rsc);
+
+        // Accumulate enough shared translation to cross the precision
+        // threshold while staying away from either end of the content.
+        rsc.ui
+            .widgets
+            .get_mut(&list_weak)
+            .unwrap()
+            .scroll(CONTENT_OFFSET_REBASE + 1.0);
+        render.update(&root, &mut rsc);
+
+        let anchor_key = {
+            let list = rsc.ui.widgets.get(&list_weak).unwrap();
+            let anchor = list.anchor.expect("the populated list has an anchor");
+            list.slot_key(anchor.slot)
+                .expect("the anchor is a real row away from the sentinels")
+        };
+        let anchor_row = &rows[anchor_key as usize];
+        let before = render
+            .window_region(anchor_row, &rsc)
+            .expect("the rehomed anchor is retained")
+            .top_left
+            .y;
+
+        // This draw first rebases the local coordinate space, then applies
+        // the requested pixel of movement. Neither operation may jump the
+        // rendered row.
+        rsc.ui.widgets.get_mut(&list_weak).unwrap().scroll(1.0);
+        render.update(&root, &mut rsc);
+        let after = render
+            .window_region(anchor_row, &rsc)
+            .expect("the anchor remains retained after the rebase")
+            .top_left
+            .y;
+        assert!(
+            (after - before - 1.0).abs() < 0.5,
+            "the rebase must be invisible; expected +1px, got {}px",
+            after - before,
+        );
+    }
+
     /// The streamed-reply case (RUST.md's "streaming still costs a full
     /// rebuild" fix, `transcript-ui::TranscriptScreen::apply`): a delta
     /// swaps the last row's widget for a taller one, same key, same slot.