solved-by-flexbox

A showcase of problems once hard or impossible to solve with CSS alone, now made trivially easy with Flexbox.

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Quick Overview

Solved by Flexbox is a project showcasing how common CSS layout problems can be solved using Flexbox. It provides practical examples and demonstrations of Flexbox's capabilities, helping developers understand and implement flexible layouts more effectively.

Pros

Offers real-world examples of Flexbox solutions
Provides clear, interactive demonstrations
Helps developers learn and adopt Flexbox techniques
Regularly updated to reflect modern CSS practices

Cons

Focuses solely on Flexbox, not covering other layout methods
May not cover extremely complex layout scenarios
Requires basic understanding of CSS to fully benefit
Some examples might not be compatible with very old browsers

Code Examples

Basic Flexbox container:

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: space-between;
  align-items: center;
}

This code creates a flex container with items spaced evenly and vertically centered.

Flex item with grow and shrink properties:

.flex-item {
  flex: 1 0 auto;
}

This code makes a flex item grow to fill available space but not shrink below its base size.

Responsive flex layout:

.responsive-layout {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
}

.responsive-layout > * {
  flex: 1 1 300px;
}

This code creates a responsive layout where items wrap and have a minimum width of 300px.

Getting Started

To use the Solved by Flexbox examples:

Visit the project website: https://philipwalton.github.io/solved-by-flexbox/
Browse through the various examples and their explanations
Inspect the source code of each example to understand the implementation
Copy and adapt the relevant CSS to your own projects
Experiment with the properties to customize the layout for your needs

For a local copy of the project:

git clone https://github.com/philipwalton/solved-by-flexbox.git
cd solved-by-flexbox
npm install
npm start

This will set up the project locally and start a development server, allowing you to explore and modify the examples.

Competitor Comparisons

HEAD

29,972

A simple guide to HTML <head> elements

Pros of HEAD

Comprehensive list of HTML head elements and meta tags
Regularly updated with modern web standards and best practices
Serves as a quick reference guide for developers

Cons of HEAD

Focuses solely on HTML head elements, not addressing layout challenges
Lacks practical examples or demonstrations of implementation
Does not provide solutions for specific CSS layout problems

Code Comparison

HEAD:

<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Page Title</title>

Solved by Flexbox:

.container {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  justify-content: space-between;
}

Summary

HEAD is a valuable resource for HTML head element best practices, while Solved by Flexbox offers practical solutions for CSS layout challenges using Flexbox. HEAD provides a comprehensive list of meta tags and head elements, making it an excellent reference for developers. On the other hand, Solved by Flexbox demonstrates how to solve common layout problems using Flexbox, with live examples and explanations.

While both repositories serve different purposes, they complement each other in web development. HEAD ensures proper document setup and metadata, while Solved by Flexbox addresses layout and design implementation. Developers may find both repositories useful in different stages of their projects.

normalize.css

52,446

A modern alternative to CSS resets

Pros of normalize.css

Broader browser compatibility, addressing a wide range of cross-browser inconsistencies
Smaller file size, making it more lightweight and faster to load
Focuses on preserving useful browser defaults rather than removing them entirely

Cons of normalize.css

Limited to CSS resets and normalizations, not addressing specific layout challenges
Requires additional CSS for modern flexbox-based layouts
May include unnecessary normalizations for projects not supporting older browsers

Code Comparison

normalize.css:

html {
  line-height: 1.15;
  -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;
}
body {
  margin: 0;
}

solved-by-flexbox:

.Grid {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  list-style: none;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

While normalize.css focuses on normalizing browser defaults, solved-by-flexbox provides flexbox-based solutions for common layout problems. normalize.css is more about creating a consistent baseline across browsers, whereas solved-by-flexbox offers specific layout patterns using modern CSS techniques.

normalize.css is better suited for projects requiring broad browser support and a solid CSS reset foundation. solved-by-flexbox is ideal for developers looking to implement flexible, responsive layouts using modern CSS, but may require additional normalization for cross-browser consistency.

html5-boilerplate

56,479

A professional front-end template for building fast, robust, and adaptable web apps or sites.

Pros of HTML5 Boilerplate

Comprehensive starter template for web projects
Includes best practices for performance, security, and cross-browser compatibility
Regularly updated and maintained by a large community

Cons of HTML5 Boilerplate

May include unnecessary code for simpler projects
Requires more setup and customization for specific use cases
Not focused on solving specific layout challenges

Code Comparison

HTML5 Boilerplate (main HTML structure):

<!doctype html>
<html class="no-js" lang="">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title></title>
    <meta name="description" content="">

Solved by Flexbox (example of a flexbox layout):

.Site {
  display: flex;
  min-height: 100vh;
  flex-direction: column;
}

.Site-content {
  flex: 1;
}

HTML5 Boilerplate provides a complete starting point for web projects, including HTML structure, CSS normalization, and JavaScript utilities. It's ideal for developers who want a solid foundation for various web projects.

Solved by Flexbox focuses specifically on demonstrating flexbox solutions for common layout problems. It's more suitable for developers looking to learn and implement flexbox techniques in their projects.

While HTML5 Boilerplate offers a broader set of tools and best practices, Solved by Flexbox provides targeted solutions for modern CSS layouts using flexbox.

bootstrap

170,434

The most popular HTML, CSS, and JavaScript framework for developing responsive, mobile first projects on the web.

Pros of Bootstrap

Comprehensive framework with extensive components and utilities
Large community and ecosystem with extensive documentation
Cross-browser compatibility and responsive design out of the box

Cons of Bootstrap

Heavier file size and potential performance impact
Less flexibility for custom designs without overriding styles
Steeper learning curve for beginners due to its extensive features

Code Comparison

Solved by Flexbox (centering an element):

.container {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
}

Bootstrap (centering an element):

<div class="d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center">
  <!-- Centered content -->
</div>

Summary

Solved by Flexbox focuses on leveraging Flexbox for layout solutions, providing lightweight and flexible CSS patterns. It's ideal for developers who want to understand and implement Flexbox-based layouts directly.

Bootstrap offers a complete front-end toolkit with pre-built components, grid system, and utilities. It's suitable for rapid prototyping and building responsive websites with consistent design, but may require more effort to customize extensively.

Both repositories have their merits, with Solved by Flexbox offering a more focused approach to modern CSS layouts, while Bootstrap provides a comprehensive framework for building entire web applications.

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A utility-first CSS framework for rapid UI development.

Pros of Tailwind CSS

Comprehensive utility-first CSS framework with a vast array of pre-built classes
Highly customizable and extensible through configuration files
Active development and large community support

Cons of Tailwind CSS

Steeper learning curve due to the extensive class system
Can lead to verbose HTML markup with multiple utility classes
Requires additional build steps and configuration

Code Comparison

Solved by Flexbox (using custom CSS):

.holy-grail {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  min-height: 100vh;
}

Tailwind CSS (using utility classes):

<div class="flex flex-col min-h-screen">
  <!-- Content here -->
</div>

Summary

Solved by Flexbox focuses on demonstrating Flexbox solutions for common layout problems, while Tailwind CSS is a comprehensive utility-first CSS framework. Solved by Flexbox is more educational and specific to Flexbox, whereas Tailwind CSS offers a broader set of utilities for rapid UI development. Tailwind CSS provides more flexibility but requires learning its class system, while Solved by Flexbox is simpler but less extensive in scope.

bulma

49,259

Modern CSS framework based on Flexbox

Pros of Bulma

More comprehensive CSS framework with a wider range of pre-built components
Active development and larger community support
Extensive documentation and examples

Cons of Bulma

Larger file size and potential performance impact
Less focused on specific flexbox solutions
May require overriding styles for custom designs

Code Comparison

Bulma (column layout):

<div class="columns">
  <div class="column">First column</div>
  <div class="column">Second column</div>
  <div class="column">Third column</div>
</div>

Solved by Flexbox (holy grail layout):

.HolyGrail {
  display: flex;
  min-height: 100vh;
  flex-direction: column;
}
.HolyGrail-body {
  display: flex;
  flex: 1;
}

Bulma provides a more complete CSS framework with various components and utilities, while Solved by Flexbox focuses specifically on flexbox-based solutions for common layout problems. Bulma offers a broader range of pre-built elements and a larger ecosystem, but may be overkill for projects that only need flexbox solutions. Solved by Flexbox is more lightweight and targeted, but may require additional custom styling for a full-featured design.

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README

Solved by Flexbox

A showcase of problems once hard or impossible to solve with CSS alone, now made trivially easy with Flexbox.

View Site

Viewing the Site Locally

The Solved by Flexbox site can be built with Node.js. If you have Node.js installed on your system, you can run the following commands to build and serve a local copy.

# Clone the git repository and cd into the cloned directory.
git clone https://github.com/philipwalton/solved-by-flexbox.git
cd solved-by-flexbox

# Install the dependencies
npm install

# Build and serve the site at http://localhost:4000
npm start

This starts up a local server on port 4000. To view the site in your browser, navigate to http://localhost:4000. If you want to use a different port, you can pass the port number as an argument to npm start:

npm start -- -p 8080

In addition to building the site and serving it locally, this will also listen for any changes and rebuild the site as needed. This allows you to play around with the code, refresh the browser, and see your changes instantly.

Translations

The following translations have been graciously provided by the community:

Please note that translations are unofficial and may be inaccurate or out of date. To submit your own translation, please submit a pull request or open an issue and link to your translated content.

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