src/pages/Home/index.tsx

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { ChevronLeft, ChevronRight } from "lucide-react";
 import { Link, useLocation } from "react-router-dom";
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { getJSON, itemsOrEmpty, readJSONCache, type Category } from "../../api";
 import { CategoryIcon } from "../../components/CategoryIcon";
 import { FigmaBanner } from "../../components/FigmaBanner";
@@ -41,6 +41,60 @@ function figmaCategoryRank(category: Category): number {
   return index === -1 ? FIGMA_CATEGORY_ORDER.length : index;
 }
 
+type LatestPostColumnItem = {
+  post: Post;
+  originalIndex: number;
+};
+
+function estimateLatestPostHeight(post: Post): number {
+  const textLength = (post.text ?? post.title ?? "").length;
+  const textRows = Math.ceil(textLength / 72);
+  const textHeight = Math.min(180, Math.max(0, textRows * 22));
+  const previewHeight = post.linkPreview ? 132 : 0;
+  const [firstAttachment] = post.attachments;
+
+  if (!firstAttachment) return 72 + textHeight + previewHeight;
+
+  if (post.attachments.length >= 2) {
+    const mediaHeight = firstAttachment.kind === "video" ? 340 : 300;
+    return mediaHeight + textHeight + previewHeight + 42;
+  }
+
+  if (firstAttachment.kind === "video") {
+    return 300 + textHeight + previewHeight + 42;
+  }
+
+  if (firstAttachment.kind === "image") {
+    return (post.text ? 300 : 260) + textHeight + previewHeight + 42;
+  }
+
+  return 96 + post.attachments.length * 72 + textHeight + previewHeight;
+}
+
+function splitLatestPostsIntoColumns(
+  posts: Post[],
+  columnCount: number,
+): LatestPostColumnItem[][] {
+  const safeColumnCount = Math.max(1, columnCount);
+  const columns = Array.from(
+    { length: safeColumnCount },
+    () => [] as LatestPostColumnItem[],
+  );
+  const columnHeights = Array.from({ length: safeColumnCount }, () => 0);
+
+  posts.forEach((post, originalIndex) => {
+    const targetColumn =
+      originalIndex < safeColumnCount
+        ? originalIndex
+        : columnHeights.indexOf(Math.min(...columnHeights));
+
+    columns[targetColumn].push({ post, originalIndex });
+    columnHeights[targetColumn] += estimateLatestPostHeight(post) + 16;
+  });
+
+  return columns;
+}
+
 export function Home() {
   const { t, lang } = useI18n();
   const lp = useLocalizedPath();
@@ -64,6 +118,27 @@ export function Home() {
   const [activeCategoryPage, setActiveCategoryPage] = useState(0);
   const [canScrollRec, setCanScrollRec] = useState(false);
   const [recScroll, setRecScroll] = useState({ ratio: 1, progress: 0 });
+  const [latestDesktopColumnCount, setLatestDesktopColumnCount] = useState(
+    () =>
+      typeof window !== "undefined" &&
+      typeof window.matchMedia === "function" &&
+      window.matchMedia("(min-width: 1024px)").matches
+        ? 3
+        : 2,
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (typeof window.matchMedia !== "function") return;
+
+    const media = window.matchMedia("(min-width: 1024px)");
+    const updateColumnCount = () => {
+      setLatestDesktopColumnCount(media.matches ? 3 : 2);
+    };
+
+    updateColumnCount();
+    media.addEventListener("change", updateColumnCount);
+    return () => media.removeEventListener("change", updateColumnCount);
+  }, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     let cancelled = false;
@@ -73,7 +148,7 @@ export function Home() {
     const postQ = `?lang=${langParam}&language=${languageParam}`;
     const categoriesUrl = `/api/categories${catQ}`;
     const recommendedUrl = `/api/posts/recommended${postQ}&limit=12`;
-    const latestUrl = `/api/posts${postQ}&sort=latest&limit=12`;
+    const latestUrl = `/api/posts${postQ}&sort=latest&limit=9`;
     const popularUrl = `/api/posts${postQ}&sort=popular&limit=5`;
 
     const applyHomeData = (
@@ -264,6 +339,10 @@ export function Home() {
           Math.round(recScroll.progress * (recommendedDotCount - 1)),
         )
       : 0;
+  const latestDesktopColumns = useMemo(
+    () => splitLatestPostsIntoColumns(latestPosts, latestDesktopColumnCount),
+    [latestPosts, latestDesktopColumnCount],
+  );
   // Hide the arrow that points to an edge we're already at.
   const recAtStart = recScroll.progress <= 0.01;
   const recAtEnd = recScroll.progress >= 0.99;
@@ -481,20 +560,25 @@ export function Home() {
                 </Reveal>
               ))}
             </div>
-            {/* Desktop: masonry that matches the Figma layout. 2 columns at
-                md (with horizontal padding so cards don't kiss the screen
-                edge), 3 columns at lg+. */}
-            <div className="mt-7 hidden gap-4 px-4 md:block md:columns-2 lg:columns-3 lg:px-0">
-              {latestPosts.map((post, index) => (
+            {/* Desktop: explicit balanced columns avoid the uneven gaps that
+                CSS multi-column masonry can create with variable-height cards. */}
+            <div className="mt-7 hidden gap-4 px-4 md:grid md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 lg:px-0">
+              {latestDesktopColumns.map((column, columnIndex) => (
+                <div
+                  key={`latest-desktop-column-${columnIndex}`}
+                  className="flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-4"
+                >
+                  {column.map(({ post, originalIndex }) => (
                     <Reveal
                       key={post.id}
-                  delay={Math.min(index, 8) * 0.05}
-                  className="mb-4 break-inside-avoid"
+                      delay={Math.min(originalIndex, 8) * 0.05}
                     >
                       <MessageBubble post={post} fluid />
                     </Reveal>
                   ))}
                 </div>
+              ))}
+            </div>
           </div>
         </section>
       </Reveal>