10.1 Responsive Columns
Flexbox is meant for one-dimensional compositions, meaning it's perfect for arranging elements in a row or column. Let’s go over the basics of Flexbox and techniques for creating complex and responsive layouts.
Flex Container and Flex Items
-
Flex Container: the element to which the
display: flexproperty is applied. This container manages the layout of all child elements (flex items). - Flex Items: the child elements of the flex container.
1. Creating Responsive Columns
Example of creating responsive columns using flex-wrap, flex-grow,
flex-shrink, and flex-basis:
CSS
.flex-container {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 10px;
}
.flex-item {
flex: 1 1 200px;
background-color: #3498db;
color: white;
padding: 20px;
text-align: center;
}
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Responsive Columns with Flexbox</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
</head>
<body>
<div class="flex-container">
<div class="flex-item">Column 1</div>
<div class="flex-item">Column 2</div>
<div class="flex-item">Column 3</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>
Code Explanation:
-
.flex-container: defines the container as a flex container with items that can wrap to the next line if there's not enough space (flex-wrap: wrap). -
.flex-item: items are equal in size and can adjust to the available space (flex: 1 1 200px).
10.2 Responsive Image Gallery
Let's create a responsive image gallery that changes the number of columns based on screen size:
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Responsive Flexbox Gallery</title>
<style>
.gallery {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 10px;
}
.gallery img {
flex: 1 1 calc(33.333% - 10px);
max-width: calc(33.333% - 10px);
height: auto;
}
@media (max-width: 768px) {
.gallery img {
flex: 1 1 calc(50% - 10px);
max-width: calc(50% - 10px);
}
}
@media (max-width: 480px) {
.gallery img {
flex: 1 1 100%;
max-width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="gallery">
<img data-max-width="256" data-id="ebb06cf3-0e04-45bd-a33e-31fe096fd323" src="https://cdn.javarush.com/images/article/ebb06cf3-0e04-45bd-a33e-31fe096fd323/256.jpeg" alt="image 1">
<img data-max-width="256" data-id="ddbb4085-7a58-44e0-88fe-a2368b777222" src="https://cdn.javarush.com/images/article/ddbb4085-7a58-44e0-88fe-a2368b777222/256.jpeg" alt="image 2">
<img data-max-width="256" data-id="71be962a-10e9-4351-8c27-8846c6ad2e00" src="https://cdn.javarush.com/images/article/71be962a-10e9-4351-8c27-8846c6ad2e00/256.jpeg" alt="image 3">
<img data-max-width="256" data-id="8afd6be8-0f8e-42e9-a64b-8549f12862f7" src="https://cdn.javarush.com/images/article/8afd6be8-0f8e-42e9-a64b-8549f12862f7/256.jpeg" alt="image 4">
<img data-max-width="256" data-id="77241dcb-9b7f-471e-934e-9f7f2a42d369" src="https://cdn.javarush.com/images/article/77241dcb-9b7f-471e-934e-9f7f2a42d369/256.jpeg" alt="image 5">
</div>
</body>
</html>
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Responsive Flexbox Gallery</title>
<style>
.gallery {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 10px;
}
.gallery img {
flex: 1 1 calc(33.333% - 10px);
max-width: calc(33.333% - 10px);
height: auto;
}
@media (max-width: 768px) {
.gallery img {
flex: 1 1 calc(50% - 10px);
max-width: calc(50% - 10px);
}
}
@media (max-width: 480px) {
.gallery img {
flex: 1 1 100%;
max-width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="gallery">
<img src="image1.jpg" alt="Image 1">
<img src="image2.jpg" alt="Image 2">
<img src="image3.jpg" alt="Image 3">
<img src="image4.jpg" alt="Image 4">
<img src="image5.jpg" alt="Image 5">
</div>
</body>
</html>
Explanation:
- On large screens, images take up a third of the container's width.
- On screens up to 768 pixels wide, images take up half of the container's width.
- On screens up to 480 pixels wide, images take up the full width of the container.
10.3 Complex Responsive Layout with Flexbox
Let's create a complex layout using Flexbox that includes a header, sidebar, main content, and footer that adapts to different screen sizes:
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Complex Flexbox Layout</title>
<style>
body {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
min-height: 100vh;
margin: 0;
}
header, footer {
background-color: #333;
color: white;
text-align: center;
padding: 20px;
}
main {
flex: 1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
}
.content {
flex: 1;
padding: 20px;
background-color: #f4f4f4;
}
aside {
background-color: #ccc;
padding: 20px;
}
@media (min-width: 768px) {
main {
flex-direction: row;
}
.content {
flex: 3;
}
aside {
flex: 1;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<header>Header</header>
<main>
<aside>Sidebar</aside>
<div class="content">Main Content</div>
</main>
<footer>Footer</footer>
</body>
</html>
Explanation:
- On small screens, the layout consists of a header, main content, sidebar, and footer arranged vertically.
- On screens 768 pixels wide and up, the main content and sidebar are arranged horizontally.
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