Can you explain the purpose of a <div> element that is empty except for the CSS property clear:both?

Can anyone shed light on the significance of this particular tag that I stumbled upon in a legitimate html document that I recently acquired?

<div style="clear: both;">&nbsp;</div>

I appreciate any assistance you can offer.

Answer №1

This element helps to clear the floats on both the left and right sides, allowing the content following it to return to the normal flow of the page.

For more information, see the official definition.

Answer №2

Referred to as a "spacer div," this technique was popularized in an article ten years ago to address a common issue. It is commonly used in situations like the following:

<div class="container">
  <div style="float:left">
    ...
  <div style="float:left">
    ...
  </div>
  <div style="clear:both">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

The floated inner divs necessitate the use of a "spacer div" within the container in order for it to properly enclose its content. The inclusion of &nbsp; is required in older browsers to ensure consistent behavior, as simply using <div style="clear:both"/> may not work across all platforms without having actual content inside the element.

While effective, this solution can be considered less elegant due to the addition of unnecessary markup solely for styling purposes. Instead, more sophisticated approaches like utilizing the :after CSS pseudo class are recommended. Another alternative solution can be found in this informative article.

Answer №3

Float elements are restricted from being positioned to the left or right of this particular tag.

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