Float:left; vs display:inline; vs display:inline-block; vs display:table-cell;

css

responsive-design

performance

best-practices

byAlex Kataev·Nov 19, 2024

Use float: left; to align elements horizontally, wrapping to a new line when the container is filled. Choose display: inline; for uninterruptable sequences of elements, ignoring their width and height properties. Select display: inline-block; to preserve the inline flow but acknowledge elements' full box-model characteristics. Lastly, display: table-cell; offers complex vertical alignments and grid layouts resembling tables.

.float-example { 
  float: left; // YES floating! Still no sign of the Titanic though.
  width: 50px; 
}
.inline-example { 
  display: inline; // Inline skating through elements!
}
.inline-block-example { 
  display: inline-block; // Like skating, but with respect for personal space
  width: 50px; 
  height: 50px; 
}
.table-cell-example { 
  display: table-cell; // More organized than my office desk
  vertical-align: middle; 
}

Incorporate these code snippets for immediate layout formatting.

Drill-down on display types

Dive into the secret world of each method, understanding their performances and peculiarities.

Key aspects to remember

Floats that need a hand to stay afloat

When using float: left;, consider adding overflow: auto; to your parent element. This prevents collapsing parent hurdles. If you're dealing with historical artifacts like IE6/7, pairing :after and content:"" to clear floats might hit a wall.

Inline-block and its personal space issues

Beware of spaces between elements in display: inline-block;. These sneaky gaps appear because of how HTML renders whitespace in your markup. A way around this is setting font-size:0 on the parent or avoiding spaces in your HTML.

FlexBox - The master contortionist

The FlexBox feature provides state-of-the-art capabilities for manipulating layout alignment in varying directions. However, don't pin all your hopes on it just yet. Its browser support is still like a yo-yo.

Playing nice with table-cell

display: table-cell; offers great perks like equal-height columns but introduces risks of overflow issues in dynamic content. Be cautious with its usage, mainly with older browsers.

Aligning elements vertically - "Y U No center?"

Getting that stubborn text to center perfectly can be a Herculean task. For single-line text, try playing with line-height.

But if a block element is causing a headache, try display: inline-block;, explicit height, and negative margins. Be the CSS whisperer your elements need.

Hello, FlexBox

Turn to FlexBox for a clean, modern approach to layout problems. Its alignment capabilities are impressive, beneficial for the harmonious positioning of child elements.

Responsive strategies

Stay flexible in responsive design - avoid hard chiseled dimensions & embrace relative sizing. This minor tip can make a huge difference in your users' experience.

Practical Use Cases - What works where?

Multi-column layouts

Adopt the CSS Columns feature for multi-column layouts only after diligently checking browser support. If not, embracing the float style technique can quite literally keep you afloat!

For menu implementations, display: inline-block; is your best friend. Bid a not-so-tearful goodbye to inline whitespace, and enjoy the liberty of responsive size adjustments with it.

Table-ish elements

For data represented in a table format, display: table-cell; truly excels. Remember to maintain structure and consistency by using it with display: table; and display: table-row.

Tripping over and solving troubles

Pesky whitespace in inline-block

Run into unexpected padding? Try font-size: 0 on the parent or throw in HTML comments.

Clearing floats like a pro

Stretched out parents because of float? Well, use the clearfix hack. It subsides the collateral damage ensued by the float.

Oh no, IE6/7!

If you need to support legacy IE6/7, step with caution! They might not play well with modern layout methods. The tried-and-true floats could be a safer resort.

Cross-Browser Compatibility - The Master Key

Always fashion your website for cross-browser compatibility. While you might be tempted to go all out with FlexBox or CSS Grid, remember, float and inline-block still rule the roost for older browser versions.

Principles for choice: Project needs orchestrate your design!

Choosing your layout method must be dictated by project and user requirements. Spruce up your layout knowledge by understanding the wealth of trade-offs and limitations for each technique.

explain-codes / Css / Float:left; vs display:inline; vs display:inline-block; vs display:table-cell;

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