title: Can I use javascript to force the browser to "flush" any pending layout changes?
body: <p>I have a library that build UI using Javascript, and because of the dynamic content involved I sometimes want to put content out to the browser, examine how the layout was changed to support this and then do a different logic depending on the result. For example: detect if some text is overflowing and truncate it with an ellipsis.</p>
  
  <p>Usually I implement this by putting out the changes, then using window.setTimeout(0) to wait for the layout to update and invoke the rest of the logic. This is obviously sub-optimal as different browsers may either implement a minimal timeout that is too slow to prevent flicker or faster that uses a lot of CPU.</p>
  
  <p>Ideally I would like to do the DOM changes, then force the layout to update synchronously and run the "fix-up" logic immediately inline. Any ideas?</p>