What is the purpose of setting position: relative without altering the element's position?

Question

What is the purpose of setting position: relative without altering the element's position?

As I delve into learning CSS, a question arises in my mind regarding the use of position: relative without specifying a specific location, such as left: 20px or top: 10px. Below is a snippet of CSS code that showcases this scenario.

#home #header {
    position: relative;
    width: 822px;
    height: 152px;
    margin: 0 19px;
    padding: 0;
    overflow: hidden;
}

#header {
    position: relative;
    width: 822px;
    height: 152px;
    margin: 0 19px;
    padding: 0;
    overflow: hidden;
    background: url(img/bg-content-wrap-top-int.png) no-repeat center bottom;
}

html css

Answer 1

Answer №1

There are typically three main reasons for using z-index in CSS:

To control the stacking order of elements (such as when positioning an element with or without a specific z-index). Learn more at https://developer.mozilla.org/en/understanding_css_z-index
When using position:absolute, elements inside will be relative to the parent if the parent is set to position:relative. More information available at http://css-tricks.com/absolute-positioning-inside-relative-positioning/
To ensure that certain properties are applied correctly or to fix any issues (often referred to as a "hack"). This is commonly necessary to address problems related to IE.

Answer 2

There are typically three main reasons for using z-index in CSS:

To control the stacking order of elements (such as when positioning an element with or without a specific z-index). Learn more at https://developer.mozilla.org/en/understanding_css_z-index
When using position:absolute, elements inside will be relative to the parent if the parent is set to position:relative. More information available at http://css-tricks.com/absolute-positioning-inside-relative-positioning/
To ensure that certain properties are applied correctly or to fix any issues (often referred to as a "hack"). This is commonly necessary to address problems related to IE.

Answer 3

Answer №2

Most often, it is utilized to establish the 0,0 coordinates for any child element that is set as absolute within the context of #header.

Typically, if you were to do this:

<div id="header">
    <div id="fos">hehe</div>
</div>

and apply the following CSS:

#fos {
    position: absolute;
    top: 10px;
    left: 10px;
}

your #fos element would be positioned at 10,10 from the top-left corner of the page. However, by adding position: relative; to #header, #fos will now be located at 10,10 relative to the top-left corner of #header.

This behavior also applies if #header had a position other than static (which is the default value for position), but relative is commonly used to maintain the element's placement in the document flow. So when specified without specific positioning, the element will retain its current location while adjusting the 0,0 reference point.

I have crafted a simple jsFiddle Demo for illustrative purposes.

(Additionally, as mentioned by @rhyaniwyn, this technique has various applications beyond what I have elucidated here, showcasing its versatility and power.)

Answer 4

Most often, it is utilized to establish the 0,0 coordinates for any child element that is set as absolute within the context of #header.

Typically, if you were to do this:

<div id="header">
    <div id="fos">hehe</div>
</div>

and apply the following CSS:

#fos {
    position: absolute;
    top: 10px;
    left: 10px;
}

your #fos element would be positioned at 10,10 from the top-left corner of the page. However, by adding position: relative; to #header, #fos will now be located at 10,10 relative to the top-left corner of #header.

This behavior also applies if #header had a position other than static (which is the default value for position), but relative is commonly used to maintain the element's placement in the document flow. So when specified without specific positioning, the element will retain its current location while adjusting the 0,0 reference point.

I have crafted a simple jsFiddle Demo for illustrative purposes.

(Additionally, as mentioned by @rhyaniwyn, this technique has various applications beyond what I have elucidated here, showcasing its versatility and power.)

Answer 5

Answer №3

While it may not be a strict requirement, it is advisable to consider when working with child elements that will utilize the position:absolute attribute. This is because their positioning will be relative to the closest parent element with the position:relative attribute.

Answer 6

While it may not be a strict requirement, it is advisable to consider when working with child elements that will utilize the position:absolute attribute. This is because their positioning will be relative to the closest parent element with the position:relative attribute.

What is the purpose of setting position: relative without altering the element's position?

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

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