// dimension - Either 'y' or 'x'

// computedStyles - (Optional) Pass in the domNodes computed styles if you already have it (since I hear its somewhat expensive)

// todo: this might be more complete https://github.com/hashchange/jquery.isinview/blob/6887aa7affd07877ee6d2c04d48d393c8092632d/src/jquery.isinview.js#L573-646

function hasScrollBars(domNode, dimension, computedStyles) {

    dimension = dimension.toUpperCase()

    if(dimension === 'Y') {

        var length = 'Height'

    } else {

        var length = 'Width'

    }

​

    var scrollLength = 'scroll'+length

    var clientLength = 'client'+length

    var overflowDimension = 'overflow'+dimension

​

    var hasVScroll = domNode[scrollLength] > domNode[clientLength]

​

​

    // Check the overflow and overflowY properties for "auto" and "visible" values

    var cStyle = computedStyles || getComputedStyle(domNode)

    return hasVScroll && (cStyle[overflowDimension] == "visible"

                         || cStyle[overflowDimension] == "auto"

                         )

          || cStyle[overflowDimension] == "scroll"

}

​

// --------------------

​

$( function () {

  var $result = $( "<p />" ),

      message = hasScrollBars( document.body, 'y' ) ? "detected" : "not detected";

  $result

    .text( "Vertical scroll bar " + message )

    .appendTo( "body" );

} );

​

​