Align-items vs. Align-content: When and How to Use Them in Grid Layout?

Understanding the Distinction between align-items and align-content in Grid Layout

Despite referencing a comprehensive guide on Grid Layout, you may still have questions regarding the differences between the "align-items" and "align-content" container properties. To clarify, let's break down the terminology:

• Grid Container: The outermost container establishing the grid's formatting context.
• Grid: A grid of vertical and horizontal lines dividing the container into boxes (grid areas) that contain grid items.
• Grid Items: Boxes placed within the grid container's content flow.

To align grid items within the cells, use align-items and justify-items, while justify-content and align-content align the entire grid itself within the container.

Now, let's clear up a common misconception:

Claim: The "-content" properties exist because the grid may be smaller than its container, allowing space for alignment.

Correction: Both "-content" and "-items" properties apply when the grid size is smaller than the container. However, only the "-content" properties affect the alignment of the grid as a whole, changing its position within the container.

For example, in the illustration below, the grid is smaller than the container, leaving space for the grid to be centered vertically by using align-content: center and right-aligned by using justify-content: end.

[Image of a grid layout with space around it]

In contrast, if the grid size matched the container, there would be no space to distribute and align-content / justify-content would have no effect.

Remember, align-items and justify-items align individual grid items within their grid areas, while align-content and justify-content align the entire grid within the container. This distinction is crucial when manipulating the layout and positioning of your Grid-based design.

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