In CSS, the
display property controls how an element is rendered in the document flow. There are three commonly used values for the `display` property:
`inline`, `inline-block`, and
`block`. Here's a breakdown of the differences between them:
1. `display: inline`: Elements with `display: inline` are rendered as inline elements, meaning they flow within the text content of a line. Inline elements do not start on a new line and only take up as much width as necessary to contain their content. They cannot have a specified width or height, and margins and padding only affect their left and right sides, not top and bottom.
Example:
span {
display: inline;
}
<span>This is an inline element.</span>
2. `display: inline-block`: Elements with `display: inline-block` are rendered as inline-level elements but with the ability to have a specific width, height, margins, and padding. They flow within the text content like inline elements, but they can have block-level properties applied to them. Inline-block elements start on the same line as the previous content, but they can have line breaks if necessary.
Example:
div {
display: inline-block;
width: 200px;
height: 100px;
margin: 10px;
padding: 5px;
}
<div>This is an inline-block element.</div>
3. `display: block`: Elements with `display: block` are rendered as block-level elements. They start on a new line and take up the full available width by default. Block-level elements can have a specific width, height, margins, and padding. They create a "block" that other elements cannot appear within on the same line.
Example:
div {
display: block;
width: 300px;
height: 200px;
margin: 10px;
padding: 5px;
}
<div>This is a block element.</div>
In summary, the key differences between `display: inline`, `display: inline-block`, and `display: block` are:
- `display: inline` elements flow within the text content, cannot have a specified width or height, and have limited control over margins and padding.
- `display: inline-block` elements flow within the text content but can have a specified width, height, margins, and padding.
- `display: block` elements start on a new line, take up the full available width, and can have a specified width, height, margins, and padding.
It's worth noting that there are additional values for the `display` property, such as `none` (hides the element), `table` (renders as a table), and `flex` (enables flexible box layout), among others. Each value serves a specific purpose and has its own set of behaviors and characteristics.