What is the CSS display property and how does it work?

Alex K

The CSSdisplay property is used to control the type of rendering box used for an element and how it behaves within the document flow. It specifies the layout behavior of an element and affects how it interacts with other elements. Here's a detailed explanation of the CSSdisplay property and how it works: Thedisplay property can take various values, each defining a different rendering box type. Some of the commonly used values are: 1.none: - The element is completely removed from the document flow and not displayed on the page. It does not take up any space and is effectively invisible. Descendant elements are also not rendered. 2.block: - The element generates a block-level box that spans the full width of its parent container. It starts on a new line and takes up the entire available width by default, but its height is determined by its content and any specified height properties. Block-level elements create line breaks before and after themselves. 3.inline: - The element generates an inline-level box that flows with the surrounding text content. It does not start on a new line, and its width and height are determined by its content. Inline elements do not create line breaks before or after themselves. 4.inline-block: - The element generates an inline-level box, but with properties of a block-level box. It behaves like an inline element, flowing with the surrounding text, but can have a specified width, height, margins, and padding. It does not create line breaks before or after itself. 5.flex: - The element becomes a flex container, establishing a new flex formatting context. It enables flexible box layout for its child elements using the flexbox model. The child elements within a flex container can be flex items and can be positioned and sized based on flexible rules. 6.grid: - The element becomes a grid container, establishing a new grid formatting context. It enables grid layout for its child elements using the CSS Grid Layout module. The child elements within a grid container can be grid items and can be positioned and sized based on grid rules. These are just a few examples of thedisplay property values, and there are more options available, includingtable,inline-table,table-cell,table-row, and others. Thedisplay property can be set on any element, and its behavior affects not only the element itself but also its descendants and how it interacts with other elements within the document flow. It plays a crucial role in determining the layout and positioning of elements on a web page. It's important to note that thedisplay property can be modified and overridden by other CSS properties, such asposition,float, or flexbox/grid-related properties. Understanding how thedisplay property interacts with other CSS properties allows you to control the layout and appearance of elements effectively.