Why Do Floated Elements Overflow Their Containing Div, and How Can I Fix It?

Floated Elements Escape Containment: Troubleshooting Div Overflows

When working with floats within a div, you may encounter an issue where floating elements extend beyond the boundaries of their containing div. This disparity in dimensions can disrupt your intended layout.

Root Cause:

Floats are removed from the normal document flow, creating a gap in the parent element. Subsequently, non-floating content will adjust to fill this vacated space, resulting in a smaller div that fails to encompass the floating elements.

Solution 1: Overflow Control

• Add overflow: hidden to the parent div:

#parent { overflow: hidden }

This prevents the overflow of floating elements and ensures they remain within the div's boundaries. However, it may cut off content that extends beyond the div's height.

Solution 2: Floating the Parent Div

• Float the parent div:

#parent { float: left; width: 100% }

This allows the parent div to stretch vertically to accommodate the floating content. Ensure that the div's width is set to a fixed value or percentage to avoid infinite expansion.

Solution 3: Clear Element

• Use a clear element below the floating content:

<div class="parent">
  <img class="floated_child" src="..." />
  <span class="clear"></span>
</div>

span.clear { clear: left; display: block; }

The clear element acts as a sentinel, forcing the following content to start on a new line below the floating content, restoring the div's correct dimensions.

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