Change the Position of Elements with CSS Using Flexbox

Introduction

Flexbox is a powerful tool for changing the position of elements in a web page. With flexbox, you can easily change the position of elements up and down, left and right, and even change the order in which they appear on the page. In this blog, we will explore all the flexbox attributes and values for changing the position of elements, as well as best practices for using flexbox effectively.

Position Up and Down

To change the position of an element up and down, you can use the align-items attribute. This attribute sets the alignment of items along the cross axis (the vertical axis in a row layout or the horizontal axis in a column layout).

.container {

display: flex;
align-items: center; /* center items vertically */
}

Position Left and Right

To change the position of an element left and right, you can use the justify-content attribute. This attribute sets the alignment of items along the main axis (the horizontal axis in a row layout or the vertical axis in a column layout).

.container {

display: flex;
justify-content: space-between; /* distribute items evenly along main axis */
}

Position First and Last

To change the order in which elements appear on the page, you can use the order attribute. This attribute sets the order in which flex items appear in the flex container.

.container {

display: flex;
}
.item {
order: 2; /* appear second in the flex container */
}

All Flexbox Attributes and Values for Changing Position

Here are all the flexbox attributes and values you can use to change the position of elements:

• display: flex; - specifies that the element is a flex container
• flex-direction: row | row-reverse | column | column-reverse; - specifies the direction of the main axis
• justify-content: flex-start | flex-end | center | space-between | space-around | space-evenly; - aligns items along the main axis
• align-items: flex-start | flex-end | center | baseline | stretch; - aligns items along the cross axis
• align-content: flex-start | flex-end | center | space-between | space-around | stretch; - aligns the container's lines within the flex container when there is extra space in the cross axis
• order: <integer>; - sets the order in which flex items appear in the flex container
• flex-grow: <number>; - specifies how much the flex item will grow relative to other flex items
• flex-shrink: ; - specifies how much the flex item will shrink relative to other flex items
• flex-basis: | auto; - specifies the initial size of the flex item
• flex: ; - shorthand for flex-grow, flex-shrink, and flex-basis

Best Practices

When using flexbox to change the position of elements, it's important to follow these best practices:

• Use a container element with display: flex; to create a flex container
• Use flex-direction to specify the direction of the main axis
• Use justify-content to align items along the main axis
• Use align-items to align items along the cross axis
• Use order to change the order in which items appear in the container
• Use flex-grow, flex-shrink, and flex-basis to control the size of flex items
• Avoid using float and position when using flexbox

Conclusion

Flexbox is a powerful tool for changing the position of elements in a web page. With flexbox, you can easily change the position of elements up and down, left and right, and even change the order in which they appear on the page. By using the right flexbox attributes and values, and following best practices, you can create flexible, responsive layouts that look great on any device.