How do you get centered content using Twitter Bootstrap?
Assuming gravity is on your side, centering content in Twitter Bootstrap employs the grid system and centering utility classes very well. For horizontal centering, cast your content into .container
and .row
, then use .justify-content-center
or .text-center
to realign columns or text respectively. For vertical alignment, slather some .d-flex
and .align-items-center
within the row. This snippet diagrams these steps:
Use .justify-content-center
to center block-level elements horizontally, and blend both .d-flex
and .align-items-center
to consummate alignment within Bootstrap's responsive gallery.
Block-level Centering
Block-level elements can be centered by auto-magically setting margins to auto
. In Bootstrap 4, .center-block
class got evicted in favor of utility classes like .mx-auto
for horizontal centering and .my-auto
for vertical when needed.
Inline and Flex Elements Alignment Techniques
Inline elements? No worries, text-center
got your six. For block or flex units with set dimensions, soft-pedal with mx-auto
. Emerging flexbox containers? Use .d-flex
synchronized with .justify-content-center
for horizontal and .align-items-center
for vertical alignment.
Mastering Offset Classes
Aligning columns within a row can also employ offset classes like offset-*
. However, starting Bootstrap 4, that's about as useful as a screen door on a submarine because you get the modernized flexbox utility classes.
Making it better with specific solutions
Centering Within Fixed Width Elements
When your fixed-width elements act like stubborn kids, settling them down is as easy as setting the left and right margins to auto. This is useful when your content block or image just won't stay dressed in the center of the layout.
Going vertical with centering
Bootstrap 4 grinned mischievously and introduced flex utilities that made vertical alignment a piece of cake. Just apply .align-items-center
to a .d-flex
row and voila! This is particularly useful when stubborn content refuses to align within hero sections or vertically centered modals.
Responsively scaling centering techniques
Since Bootstrap is a responsive fellow, your centering methods should be the James Bond of different screen sizes. Bootstrap's responsive prefixes (e.g., md
, lg
) handcuffed to the centering classes should etch alignment across all devices.
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