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CSS Float
CSS Float
What is CSS Float?
With CSS float, an element can be pushed to the left or right, allowing other elements to wrap around it.
Float is very often used for images, but it is also useful when working with layouts.
How Elements Float
How Elements Float
Elements are floated horizontally, this means that an element can only be floated left or right, not up or down.
A floated element will move as far to the left or right as it can. Usually this means all the way to the left or right of the containing element.
The elements after the floating element will flow around it.
The elements before the floating element will not be affected.
If an image is floated to the right, a following text flows around it, to the left:
Example
Example
img
{
float:right;
}
Floating Elements Next to Each Other
Floating Elements Next to Each Other
If you place several floating elements after each other, they will float next to each other if there is room.
Here we have made an image gallery using the float property:
Example
Example
.thumbnail
{
float:left;
width:110px;
height:90px;
margin:5px;
}
Turning off Float - Using Clear
Turning off Float - Using Clear
Elements after the floating element will flow around it. To avoid this, use the clear property.
The clear property specifies which sides of an element other floating elements are not allowed.
Add a text line into the image gallery, using the clear property:
Example
Example
.text_line
{
clear:both;
}
More Examples
More Examples
An image with border and margins that floats to the right in a paragraph
Let an image float to the right in a paragraph. Add border and margins to the image.
An image with a caption that floats to the right
Let an image with a caption float to the right.
Let the first letter of a paragraph float to the left
Let the first letter of a paragraph float to the left and style the letter.
Use float with a list of hyperlinks to create a horizontal menu.
Creating a homepage without tables
Use float to create a homepage with a header, footer, left content and main content.
All CSS Float Properties
All CSS Float Properties
The number in the "CSS" column indicates in which CSS version the property is defined (CSS1 or CSS2).
CSS Horizontal Align
CSS Horizontal Align
In CSS, several properties are used to align elements horizontally.
In CSS, several properties are used to align elements horizontally.
Aligning Block Elements
Aligning Block Elements
A block element is an element that takes up the full width available, and has a line break before and after it.
Examples of block elements:
- <h1>
- <p>
- <div>
For aligning text, see the CSS Text chapter.
In this chapter we will show you how to horizontally align block elements for layout purposes.
Center Aligning Using the margin Property
Center Aligning Using the margin Property
Block elements can be aligned by setting the left and right margins to "auto".
Note: Using margin:auto will not work in IE8 and earlier, unless a !DOCTYPE is declared.
Setting the left and right margins to auto specifies that they should split the available margin equally. The result is a centered element:
Example
Example
.center
{
margin-left:auto;
margin-right:auto;
width:70%;
background-color:#b0e0e6;
}
Tip: Aligning has no effect if the width is 100%.
Note: In IE5 there is a margin handling bug for block elements. To make the example above work in IE5, add some extra code. Try it yourself
Left and Right Aligning Using the position Property
Left and Right Aligning Using the position Property
One method of aligning elements is to use absolute positioning:
Example
Example
.right
{
position:absolute;
right:0px;
width:300px;
background-color:#b0e0e6;
}
Note: Absolute positioned elements are removed from the normal flow, and can overlap elements.
Crossbrowser Compatibility Issues
Crossbrowser Compatibility Issues
When aligning elements like this, it is always a good idea to predefine margin and padding for the <body> element. This is to avoid visual differences in different browsers.
There is a problem with IE8 and earlier, when using the position property. If a container element (in our case <div class="container">) has a specified width, and the !DOCTYPE declaration is missing, IE8 and earlier versions will add a 17px margin on the right side. This seems to be space reserved for a scrollbar. Always set the !DOCTYPE declaration when using the position property:
Example
Example
body
{
margin:0;
padding:0;
}
.container
{
position:relative;
width:100%;
}
.right
{
position:absolute;
right:0px;
width:300px;
background-color:#b0e0e6;
}
Left and Right Aligning Using the float Property
Left and Right Aligning Using the float Property
One method of aligning elements is to use the float property:
Example
Example
.right
{
float:right;
width:300px;
background-color:#b0e0e6;
}
Crossbrowser Compatibility Issues
Crossbrowser Compatibility Issues
When aligning elements like this, it is always a good idea to predefine margin and padding for the <body> element. This is to avoid visual differences in different browsers.
There is a problem with IE8 and earlier when using the float property. If the !DOCTYPE declaration is missing, IE8 and earlier versions will add a 17px margin on the right side. This seems to be space reserved for a scrollbar. Always set the !DOCTYPE declaration when using the float property:
Example
Example
body
{
margin:0;
padding:0;
}
.right
{
float:right;
width:300px;
background-color:#b0e0e6;
}
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