The Importance of the Display Property
The display property plays a crucial role in determining the layout of elements on a webpage.
Block vs Inline Elements
Block elements, like the classic div, automatically take up the full width and start on a new line. On the other hand, inline elements, such as span, do not break onto a new line.
<div>Div's display defaults to block</div>
<div>Div's display defaults to block</div>
<span>span's display defaults to inline</span>
<span>span's display defaults to inline</span>
This simple distinction allows for clear vertical or horizontal layout choices.
Advanced Layout Techniques
In response to the need for more sophisticated layouts, CSS now offers powerful tools like Flexbox and CSS Grid. These tools provide more flexibility and control over element positioning than traditional methods like float.
Flexbox operates on a single axis for laying out elements, while CSS Grid allows for true 2D grid-based layouts. It is highly recommended for readers to dive deeper into these advanced techniques.