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White space visible on right side of page when background image should extend full length of page

html
responsive-design
css-troubleshooting
cross-browser-compatibility
Anton ShumikhinbyAnton Shumikhin·Sep 27, 2024
TLDR

One shot fix for the infamous white space issue is to ensure your CSS settings cover your entire view and disable horizontal scrolling. Here's how:

* { margin: 0; // Kick out the inherited margins. Sayonara! padding: 0; // Padding? We don't need that. Adios! box-sizing: border-box; // Now padding and borders are friends, not foes! overflow-x: hidden; // Horizontal scrolling can, please, take a hike. } html, body { width: 100%; // Full width, as always. height: 100%; // Stretch till you reach the summit! background: url('your-image.jpg') no-repeat center center fixed; background-size: cover; // Cover it like how you cover a cake with frosting! }

The * selector is our CSS life hack. It resets margins, paddings, and even includes padding and borders in the size of the element, no extras. The overflow-x: hidden suppresses any pesky horizontal scrolling, and background-size: cover harmoniously stretches the image across the full skin of the page.

Background stretching strategies

Deploying a background image to perform at full throttle across various screen sizes is an art. Here's your bag of tricks:

  • Viewport units: The dynamic duo vw and vh help cover the entire viewport.
  • Flexbox: With flex container ready, you've got prime control of the layout!
  • Background-attachment: Let fixed or local attachments add their unique effects.

Addressing browser-specific quirks

And, surprise, surprise! Not every browser respects CSS in the same way. They've got their quirks. Here's how to keep them in check:

  • Test Across Browsers: Let Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge have a bite at your page.
  • Vendor Prefixes: Be generous. Gift CSS properties their respective vendor prefixes.
  • Media Queries: Identify and fix those quirky behavior of certain browsers on mobile devices particularly iOS.

Super-charged CSS troubleshooting

If niggling issues refuse to fade away, perform a state-of-the-art CSS health check:

  • Inspector Tools: Turn to your trusty browser developer tools to identify styles that wreak havoc.
  • Selective Hiding: Try the display: none; magic wand to isolate issues.
  • Code Commentary: Use comments to tactically disable chunks of CSS and zero in on problematic rules.

Advanced nuance handling

When things get really tricky, you got to up your game to get rid of that white space once and for all:

  • Mobile Specific Adjustments: Leverage @media queries to address specific display issues plaguing iOS devices.
  • High Pixel Density: Don't forget to use min-device-pixel-ratio in media queries for screens that are pixel-drunk.
  • Community Validation: Seek wisdom from your peers. Post your solutions in forums, get reviews and bask in your brilliance!

Best use of inspector tools

Inspect Element: Right-click and use "Inspect Element" to pin the donkey's tail on the culprit, right in your browser!

Ghost CSS drilling technique

Ghost CSS Drill: Apply an outline: 1px solid red; to each element to track down the ones that dare to step out of bounds!

A note on cross-platform testing

Cross-Platform Compatibility: Fire-up tools like BrowserStack to check how your background behaves in different devices and OS.