If you are interested to learn about the CSS Layout overflow
The CSS float
property specifies how an element should float. The CSS clear
property specifies what elements can float beside the cleared element and on which side.
The float Property
The float
property is used for positioning and formatting content e.g. let an image float left to the text in a container.
The float
property can have one of the following values:
left
– The element floats to the left of its containerright
– The element floats to the right of its containernone
– The element does not float (will be displayed just where it occurs in the text). This is defaultinherit
– The element inherits the float value of its parent
In its simplest use, the float
property can be used to wrap text around images.
Example – float: right;
The following example specifies that an image should float to the right in a text:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus imperdiet, nulla et dictum interdum, nisi lorem egestas odio, vitae scelerisque enim ligula venenatis dolor. Maecenas nisl est, ultrices nec congue eget, auctor vitae massa. Fusce luctus vestibulum augue ut aliquet. Mauris ante ligula, facilisis sed ornare eu, lobortis in odio. Praesent convallis urna a lacus interdum ut hendrerit risus congue. Nunc sagittis dictum nisi, sed ullamcorper ipsum dignissim ac...
Example
img { float: right; }
Example – float: left;
The following example specifies that an image should float to the left in a text:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus imperdiet, nulla et dictum interdum, nisi lorem egestas odio, vitae scelerisque enim ligula venenatis dolor. Maecenas nisl est, ultrices nec congue eget, auctor vitae massa. Fusce luctus vestibulum augue ut aliquet. Mauris ante ligula, facilisis sed ornare eu, lobortis in odio. Praesent convallis urna a lacus interdum ut hendrerit risus congue. Nunc sagittis dictum nisi, sed ullamcorper ipsum dignissim ac...
Example
img { float: left; }
Example – No float
In the following example the image will be displayed just where it occurs in the text (float: none;):
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus imperdiet, nulla et dictum interdum, nisi lorem egestas odio, vitae scelerisque enim ligula venenatis dolor. Maecenas nisl est, ultrices nec congue eget, auctor vitae massa. Fusce luctus vestibulum augue ut aliquet. Mauris ante ligula, facilisis sed ornare eu, lobortis in odio. Praesent convallis urna a lacus interdum ut hendrerit risus congue. Nunc sagittis dictum nisi, sed ullamcorper ipsum dignissim ac...
Example
img float: none;
Example – Float Next To Each Other
Normally div elements will be displayed on top of each other. However, if we use float: left
we can let elements float next to each other:
Example
div { float: left; padding: 15px; } .div1 { background: red; } .div2 { background: yellow; } .div3 { background: green; }
The clear Property
When we use the float
property, and we want the next element below (not on right or left), we will have to use the clear
property.The clear
property specifies what should happen with the element that is next to a floating element.
The clear
property can have one of the following values:
none
– The element is not pushed below left or right floated elements. This is defaultleft
– The element is pushed below left floated elementsright
– The element is pushed below right floated elementsboth
– The element is pushed below both left and right floated elementsinherit
– The element inherits the clear value from its parent
When clearing floats, you should match the clear to the float: If an element is floated to the left, then you should clear to the left. Your floated element will continue to float, but the cleared element will appear below it on the web page.
Example
This example clears the float to the left. Here, it means that the <div2> element is pushed below the left floated <div1> element:
div1 { float: left; } div2 { clear: left; }
The clearfix Hack
If a floated element is taller than the containing element, it will “overflow” outside of its container. We can then add a clearfix hack to solve this problem:
Without Clearfix
With Clearfix
Example
.clearfix { overflow: auto; }
The overflow: auto
clearfix works well as long as you are able to keep control of your margins and padding (else you might see scrollbars). The new, modern clearfix hack however, is safer to use, and the following code is used for most webpages:
Example
.clearfix::after { content: ""; clear: both; display: table; }
The float Property
The float
property is used for positioning and formatting content e.g. let an image float left to the text in a container.
The float
property can have one of the following values:
left
– The element floats to the left of its containerright
– The element floats to the right of its containernone
– The element does not float (will be displayed just where it occurs in the text). This is defaultinherit
– The element inherits the float value of its parent
In its simplest use, the float
property can be used to wrap text around images.
Example – float: right;
The following example specifies that an image should float to the right in a text:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus imperdiet, nulla et dictum interdum, nisi lorem egestas odio, vitae scelerisque enim ligula venenatis dolor. Maecenas nisl est, ultrices nec congue eget, auctor vitae massa. Fusce luctus vestibulum augue ut aliquet. Mauris ante ligula, facilisis sed ornare eu, lobortis in odio. Praesent convallis urna a lacus interdum ut hendrerit risus congue. Nunc sagittis dictum nisi, sed ullamcorper ipsum dignissim ac...
Example
img { float: right; }
Example – float: left;
The following example specifies that an image should float to the left in a text:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus imperdiet, nulla et dictum interdum, nisi lorem egestas odio, vitae scelerisque enim ligula venenatis dolor. Maecenas nisl est, ultrices nec congue eget, auctor vitae massa. Fusce luctus vestibulum augue ut aliquet. Mauris ante ligula, facilisis sed ornare eu, lobortis in odio. Praesent convallis urna a lacus interdum ut hendrerit risus congue. Nunc sagittis dictum nisi, sed ullamcorper ipsum dignissim ac...
Example
img { float: left; }
Example – No float
In the following example the image will be displayed just where it occurs in the text (float: none;):
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus imperdiet, nulla et dictum interdum, nisi lorem egestas odio, vitae scelerisque enim ligula venenatis dolor. Maecenas nisl est, ultrices nec congue eget, auctor vitae massa. Fusce luctus vestibulum augue ut aliquet. Mauris ante ligula, facilisis sed ornare eu, lobortis in odio. Praesent convallis urna a lacus interdum ut hendrerit risus congue. Nunc sagittis dictum nisi, sed ullamcorper ipsum dignissim ac...
Example
img float: none;
Example – Float Next To Each Other
Normally div elements will be displayed on top of each other. However, if we use float: left
we can let elements float next to each other:
Example
div { float: left; padding: 15px; } .div1 { background: red; } .div2 { background: yellow; } .div3 { background: green; }
The clear Property
When we use the float
property, and we want the next element below (not on right or left), we will have to use the clear
property.The clear
property specifies what should happen with the element that is next to a floating element.
The clear
property can have one of the following values:
none
– The element is not pushed below left or right floated elements. This is defaultleft
– The element is pushed below left floated elementsright
– The element is pushed below right floated elementsboth
– The element is pushed below both left and right floated elementsinherit
– The element inherits the clear value from its parent
When clearing floats, you should match the clear to the float: If an element is floated to the left, then you should clear to the left. Your floated element will continue to float, but the cleared element will appear below it on the web page.
Example
This example clears the float to the left. Here, it means that the <div2> element is pushed below the left floated <div1> element:
div1 { float: left; } div2 { clear: left; }
The clearfix Hack
If a floated element is taller than the containing element, it will “overflow” outside of its container. We can then add a clearfix hack to solve this problem:
Without Clearfix
With Clearfix
Example
.clearfix { overflow: auto; }
The overflow: auto
clearfix works well as long as you are able to keep control of your margins and padding (else you might see scrollbars). The new, modern clearfix hack however, is safer to use, and the following code is used for most webpages:
Example
.clearfix::after { content: ""; clear: both; display: table; }