What's the Difference Between `display: inline-flex` and `display: flex` in CSS?

Understanding the Difference: display:inline-flex vs. display:flex

When constructing flex layouts, developers often encounter confusion between the properties display:inline-flex and display:flex. While both involve flexbox layout, they exhibit a subtle distinction in how they are applied.

Display: Inline-Flex vs. Display: Flex

Display:inline-flex and display:flex primarily differ in their impact on the flex container. Display:inline-flex causes the flex container to behave like an inline element. This means it flows within the text, alongside other inline content. In contrast, display:flex makes the flex container a block-level element, which takes up the full width of the available space.

Impact on Flex Items

It's crucial to note that neither display:inline-flex nor display:flex alters the behavior of the flex items within the container. All flex items continue to act like block-level boxes, maintaining their inherent properties and abilities. The only distinction is in the behavior of the flex container itself.

Use Cases

The choice between display:inline-flex and display:flex depends on the desired layout. Display:inline-flex is suitable for situations where the flex container needs to behave like an inline element within the flow of text. For example, it can be used to create inline navigation menus or sidebars.

On the other hand, display:flex is ideal for block-level layouts, such as header and footer sections or main content containers. It allows the flex container to fill the available space and arrange its items evenly.

Example

To illustrate the difference, consider the following HTML code:

<div>

If we set #wrapper to display:inline-flex, the container behaves inline, flowing horizontally within the text. The individual items, however, still exhibit block-level behavior.

In contrast, if we set #wrapper to display:flex, the container becomes a block-level element, stretching to fill the available space. The items continue to align themselves according to the flex rules.

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