What is the best way to replicate floats using flexbox?

Question

What is the best way to replicate floats using flexbox?

Currently, I am exploring the possibility of using flexbox in a similar manner as floats. My main aim is to have one child element create a column on the right side, while the rest of the children form another column on the left side. The challenge is that I can only manipulate the layout using CSS and cannot make any changes to the HTML structure.

Although I have successfully implemented this layout, there is an issue where the two columns are not aligning at the top as desired. Instead, the left column appears slightly below the right column.

You can view the code snippet here

.parent {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  flex-direction: column;
}

.child {
  max-width: 48%;
}

.right {
  margin-left: auto;
}

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child right">Right</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
</div>

css flexbox css-float

Answer 1

Answer №1

To adjust the order of elements, you can utilize the order property. Additionally, I have eliminated flex-direction: column and included max-width: 100% for elements following the second one.

.parent {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
}

.child {
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 48%;
}

.child:nth-child(2) {
  order: 1;
}

.child:nth-child(3) {
  order: 3;
}

.child:nth-child(4) {
  order: 4;
}

.right {
  order: 2;
}

.child:nth-child(n + 3) {
  max-width: 100%;
}

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child right">Right</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
</div>

If the element with class .right has greater height, you may want to consider using grid-area.

.parent {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-areas:  "left1 right" 
                        "left2 right" 
                        "left3 right";
}

.child {
  width: 100%;
  background: blue;
  height: 30px;
}

.child:nth-child(2) {
  grid-area: left1;
}

.child:nth-child(3) {
  grid-area: left2;
}

.child:nth-child(4) {
  grid-area: left3;
}

.right {
  background: red;
  height: 80px;
  grid-area: right;
}

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child right">Right</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
</div>

Answer 2

To adjust the order of elements, you can utilize the order property. Additionally, I have eliminated flex-direction: column and included max-width: 100% for elements following the second one.

.parent {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
}

.child {
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 48%;
}

.child:nth-child(2) {
  order: 1;
}

.child:nth-child(3) {
  order: 3;
}

.child:nth-child(4) {
  order: 4;
}

.right {
  order: 2;
}

.child:nth-child(n + 3) {
  max-width: 100%;
}

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child right">Right</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
</div>

If the element with class .right has greater height, you may want to consider using grid-area.

.parent {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-areas:  "left1 right" 
                        "left2 right" 
                        "left3 right";
}

.child {
  width: 100%;
  background: blue;
  height: 30px;
}

.child:nth-child(2) {
  grid-area: left1;
}

.child:nth-child(3) {
  grid-area: left2;
}

.child:nth-child(4) {
  grid-area: left3;
}

.right {
  background: red;
  height: 80px;
  grid-area: right;
}

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child right">Right</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
</div>

Answer 3

Answer №2

Achieve the desired layout using flexbox in its original form!

.parent {
  display: flex;
  justify-content:space-between;
}

<div class="parent">
 <div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div></div>
  <div class="child right">Right</div>
</div>

Answer 4

Achieve the desired layout using flexbox in its original form!

.parent {
  display: flex;
  justify-content:space-between;
}

<div class="parent">
 <div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div></div>
  <div class="child right">Right</div>
</div>

Answer 5

Answer №3

With CSS-Grid, you can achieve the desired layout:

.container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: auto auto;
  grid-auto-flow: column;
}

.item {
  max-width: 48%;
  grid-column: 1;
  border: 1px solid green;
}

.right {
  grid-column: 2;
}

<div class="container">
  <div class="item right">Right</div>
  <div class="item">Left</div>
  <div class="item">Left</div>
  <div class="item">Left</div>
  <div class="item right">Right</div>
</div>

Answer 6

With CSS-Grid, you can achieve the desired layout:

.container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: auto auto;
  grid-auto-flow: column;
}

.item {
  max-width: 48%;
  grid-column: 1;
  border: 1px solid green;
}

.right {
  grid-column: 2;
}

<div class="container">
  <div class="item right">Right</div>
  <div class="item">Left</div>
  <div class="item">Left</div>
  <div class="item">Left</div>
  <div class="item right">Right</div>
</div>

Answer 7

Answer №4

If you're looking to steer clear of using grid (possibly due to IE 11 compatibility?), another option is to utilize the old method involving table-display:

.parent {
  display: table;
  width: 100%;
  direction: rtl;/* creating a reversed column flow effect here */
  text-align: left;
  border: solid;
}

.child {
  direction: ltr;/* resetting flow direction ;)*/
  border: solid;
}

.right {/* will expand if the first column is longer than itself */
  display: table-cell;
  width: 50%;/* specify column width here - any leftover space will be for other columns */
}

/* margins ? */
.bis {border-spacing:2px;}
.bis .child {margin-right:2px;}
.bis .right + .child ~ .child {margin-top:2px;}
.bis .right{text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child right">Right</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
</div>
<hr>
<div class="parent bis">
  <div class="child right">possible gaps /  VH-align</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">two<br>lines</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
</div>

Answer 8

If you're looking to steer clear of using grid (possibly due to IE 11 compatibility?), another option is to utilize the old method involving table-display:

.parent {
  display: table;
  width: 100%;
  direction: rtl;/* creating a reversed column flow effect here */
  text-align: left;
  border: solid;
}

.child {
  direction: ltr;/* resetting flow direction ;)*/
  border: solid;
}

.right {/* will expand if the first column is longer than itself */
  display: table-cell;
  width: 50%;/* specify column width here - any leftover space will be for other columns */
}

/* margins ? */
.bis {border-spacing:2px;}
.bis .child {margin-right:2px;}
.bis .right + .child ~ .child {margin-top:2px;}
.bis .right{text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child right">Right</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
</div>
<hr>
<div class="parent bis">
  <div class="child right">possible gaps /  VH-align</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
  <div class="child">two<br>lines</div>
  <div class="child">Left</div>
</div>

What is the best way to replicate floats using flexbox?

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

Answer №4

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