Is there a way to specifically dictate the order in which flexbox items expand or contract?

Question

Is there a way to specifically dictate the order in which flexbox items expand or contract?

I am facing an issue with my flex container setup involving three children elements. I have specified both minimum and maximum widths for each child, but I want them to grow or shrink in a specific order as the window width changes. Ideally, Item1 should shrink to its min width first, followed by Item2 shrinking to its min width, and finally Item3 adjusting accordingly. Can anyone guide me on what I might be doing incorrectly? I have reviewed the documentation multiple times but I still can't seem to grasp the solution.

<div className="MainContainer">
  <div className="Item1">
    I should shrink first/expand last!
  </div>
  <div className="Item2">
    I should shrink & expand second!
  </div>
  <div className="Item3">
    I should shrink last/expand first!
  </div>
</div>

Below is the CSS code I'm using:

.MainContainer {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: row;
  justify-content: center;
  padding-left: 15px;
  padding-right: 15px;
}
//Should shrink first/expand last
.Item1{
  min-width: 350px;
  max-width: 816px;
  flex: 1;
  flex-grow: 0;
}
//Should shrink/expand second
.Item2{
  max-width: 816px;
  flex: 1;
  flex-grow: 1;
}
//Should shrink last/expand first
.Item3{
  min-width: 300px;
  max-width: 224px;
  flex: 1;
  flex-grow: 2;
}

css reactjs flexbox

Answer 1

Answer №1

After finding inspiration from a helpful Stack Overflow post, I managed to reach my desired outcome.

I have made some adjustments to the sizes for clarity, but overall, my project now functions just as intended.

Feel free to explore this codesandbox to see my successful implementation using React and TypeScript. By opening the preview in a new window, you can better understand the functionality. I have also included a custom component that displays the current size of each element as the window is resized, although this step is optional.

The key aspects to focus on are the wrappers containing the resizing elements and the styles within the scss file. Pay close attention to how the 'first-to-shrink' and 'second-to-shrink' classes interact with max-width, min-width, and flex-basis properties set on individual components. Additionally, note that I had to ensure the flex-basis of the container holding two elements equaled the sum of the children's max-widths.

In terms of shrinking and expanding objects, I have categorized them to follow a specific order: Secondary Document, Primary Document, Answer Pane.

The Secondary Document should shrink first with a minimum width of 250px and a maximum width of 500px. Conversely, the Primary Document should shrink last, mirroring the same width constraints. The Answer Pane falls in between, with a minimum width of 150px and a maximum width of 300px.

Once all three objects have reached their minimum sizes, there may be overflow, which is accounted for in my design.

A critical aspect of achieving this layout was utilizing pairs of wrapper/container objects: SecondaryDocument-container housing the Secondary Document, and PrimaryDocument-AnswerPane-container accommodating both the Primary Document and Answer Pane.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/21clV.png

Answer 2