Height: 100% vs. Min-Height: 100% in CSS – When Should You Use Which?

Delving into the Subtleties of height:100% vs min-height:100%

In the realm of CSS, the task of setting the maximum height for elements is often encountered. While there are various approaches, two widely used techniques involve employing either height:100% or min-height:100%. But what are their distinct characteristics?

Understanding the Differences

According to the W3C specification, both min-height and max-height properties influence the actual height property of an element through a specific algorithm:

1. The tentative height is calculated without considering min-height and max-height.
2. If the tentative height exceeds max-height, the height is recalculated using max-height.
3. Conversely, if the resulting height is below min-height, the height is recalculated using min-height.

In essence, min-height ensures that the element will occupy at least the specified height, even if other factors would otherwise result in a shorter height. On the other hand, max-height limits the element's height to the specified value, preventing it from exceeding that limit.

Practical Applications

In the specific case of height:100%, the element is forced to assume the height of its containing block. However, if a conflicting property like max-height:50% is applied, the latter will take precedence.

In contrast, min-height:100% will instruct the element to have a minimum height of 100%, regardless of any other height specifications. This means that the computed height will always be at least 100% of the containing block's height, unless overruled by subsequent style properties.

Key Takeaway

The primary difference between height:100% and min-height:100% lies in their behavior when confronted with conflicting height specifications. Max-height can overrule height, but it cannot overrule min-height because min-height is evaluated after height and before max-height.

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