CSS3 Flexbox: Advanced Techniques

Understanding Flexbox Fundamentals

Flexbox, or Flexible Box Layout Module, is a one-dimensional layout model that provides a more efficient way to lay out, align, and distribute space among items in a container, even when their size is unknown or dynamic.

Key Concepts

Basic Properties in Action

Let's visualize the fundamental properties:

flex-direction

Item 1
Item 2
Item 3

justify-content

Aligns flex items along the main axis.

Center
Center
Center

align-items

Aligns flex items along the cross axis.

End
End
End

flex-wrap

Controls whether flex items wrap onto multiple lines.

Item 1 (40%)
Item 2 (40%)
Item 3 (40%)
Item 4 (40%)

Advanced Flexbox Properties

Dive deeper into controlling the behavior and positioning of flex items.

flex-grow, flex-shrink, and flex-basis

These properties control how flex items adjust their size to fill the available space. The shorthand flex is commonly used.

flex: 0 1 150px
flex: 1 1 0
flex: 0 0 100px

align-content

Aligns lines of flex items within the container when there are multiple lines (due to flex-wrap: wrap;).

Line 1 - Item 1
Line 1 - Item 2
Line 2 - Item 1
Line 2 - Item 2
Line 3 - Item 1

order

Allows you to change the visual order of flex items without changing the source order.

Order 3
Order 1
Order 2
Order 4

Auto Margins

Flexbox auto margins are incredibly powerful for pushing items around.

Item A
Right Aligned
Left Aligned
Item B

Responsive Design with Flexbox

Flexbox is inherently flexible and works beautifully with responsive design principles.

Flexible Item Sizing

Use the flex shorthand (flex-grow | flex-shrink | flex-basis) to create fluid layouts.

Item 1 (200px base)
Item 2 (300px base)
Item 3 (150px base, grows more)