Calculating the dimensions of a CSS element based on its content

Is there a way to achieve this using only CSS, without needing JavaScript? I am working on a project with a lot of relative and absolute positions, where elements must be centered dynamically without specifying static widths. While I have managed to minimize display errors using CSS alone, it would be ideal if CSS had built-in functionality for this kind of positioning.

Current SASS code:

element 
    position: absolute;
    top: 100px;
    right: 50%;
    margin-right: -50px; /* static width in %/px/em/rem/... */

Possible solution:

element
    position: absolute;
    top: 100px;
    right: calc(50% - this.width / 2);

Is there any existing method to achieve this behavior in CSS currently? If not, are there plans to implement it in future releases?

Answer №1

Currently, it is not feasible to reference a property of itself.

Is there potential for this feature in the future? One can only hope.

If you are dealing with centering an absolute positioned div with content that changes dynamically, one workaround is to utilize transform: translate

On a side note: CSS offers numerous properties that, when combined creatively, can still achieve a similar effect as demonstrated in the following example

div {
  position: absolute;
  top: 100px;
  border: 1px solid;
  right: 50%;
  transform: translateX(50%);
}
<div>Centered with changing content</div>

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