Css position absolute and full width problem
Styling an element to be full-width using position: absolute
is achieved by setting both the left
and right
properties to 0
. The styles applied should somewhat resemble the following:
Once these properties have been applied, your element faithful to its new class decree, expands to fill the width of the parent container's inner padding.
Positioning in a nutshell
In the world of CSS, the position: absolute
property yanks an element clear out of the normal document flow and positions it relative to the nearest non-statically positioned ancestor. Ensure its parent doesn't have a position: relative
directive if you need an unconfined, full-viewport element. Still, bear in mind that setting width: 100vw;
could warrant issues with scrollbars.
Deploy and debug
Working towards the layout goal
Having your page layout play out just as intended without undermining the parent structure requires a fine balance, shown as follows:
- Optimize your code to keep the impact on other elements to a minimum. The updates should revolve solely around the
absolute
element in question. - Put to use proven solutions. Many aspects of CSS may feel unorthodox, but they have their tested and trusted workarounds.
Ancestry constraints
Perchance an ancestor element is hampering your full-width effect with a mischievous position: relative
, ensure to check for one and correct it. The goal, after all, is to commandeer the entire document width.
Visual feedback
What's the fun in doing all the work without watching the results? Visualize your changes through demo implementations as you go along and ensure you're making progress.
Some known traps
Scrollbar interference
You might assume width: 100vw
is the safest choice, but you'd be wrong—it accounts for those pesky scrollbars! In most cases, left: 0; right: 0;
is the better choice—it's responsive and scroll-aware.
Don't get stuck with fixed
Unless you're deliberately asking for it, avoid position: fixed;
. Only use it if you need the element to stay put in the viewport while users scroll.
Demo time
There can't be enough emphasis on applying what you learn. Put those rules to test in a JSFiddle demo—it helps you understand the logic and solutions better.
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