Websites often display content in multiple columns (like a magazine or a newspaper).
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>CSS Template</title>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<style>
* {
box-sizing: border-box;
}
body {
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
}
/* Style the header */
header {
background-color: #666;
padding: 30px;
text-align: center;
font-size: 35px;
color: white;
}
/* Create two columns/boxes that floats next to each other */
nav {
float: left;
width: 30%;
height: 300px; /* only for demonstration, should be removed */
background: #ccc;
padding: 20px;
}
/* Style the list inside the menu */
nav ul {
list-style-type: none;
padding: 0;
}
article {
float: left;
padding: 20px;
width: 70%;
background-color: #f1f1f1;
height: 300px; /* only for demonstration, should be removed */
}
/* Clear floats after the columns */
section::after {
content: "";
display: table;
clear: both;
}
/* Style the footer */
footer {
background-color: #777;
padding: 10px;
text-align: center;
color: white;
}
/* Responsive layout - makes the two columns/boxes stack on top of each other instead of next to each other, on small screens */
@media (max-width: 600px) {
nav, article {
width: 100%;
height: auto;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>CSS Layout Float</h2>
<p>In this example, we have created a header, two columns/boxes and a footer. On smaller screens, the columns will stack on top of each other.</p>
<p>Resize the browser window to see the responsive effect (you will learn more about this in our next chapter - HTML Responsive.)</p>
<header>
<h2>Cities</h2>
</header>
<section>
<nav>
<ul>
<li><a href="#">London</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Paris</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Tokyo</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>
<article>
<h1>London</h1>
<p>London is the capital city of England. It is the most populous city in the United Kingdom, with a metropolitan area of over 13 million inhabitants.</p>
<p>Standing on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium.</p>
</article>
</section>
<footer>
<p>Footer</p>
</footer>
</body>
</html>
HTML Layout Elements
HTML has several semantic elements that define the different parts of a web page:
 |
-
<header>– Defines a header for a document or a section <nav>– Defines a set of navigation links<section>– Defines a section in a document<article>– Defines an independent, self-contained content<aside>– Defines content aside from the content (like a sidebar)<footer>– Defines a footer for a document or a section<details>– Defines additional details that the user can open and close on demand<summary>– Defines a heading for the<details>element.
HTML Layout Techniques
There are four different techniques to create multicolumn layouts. Each technique has its pros and cons:
- CSS framework
- CSS float property
- CSS flexbox
- CSS grid
CSS Frameworks
If you want to create your layout fast, you can use a CSS framework, like W3.CSS or Bootstrap.
CSS Float Layout
It is common to do entire web layouts using the CSS float property. Float is easy to learn – you just need to remember how the float and clear properties work. Disadvantages: Floating elements are tied to the document flow, which may harm the flexibility.
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>CSS Template</title>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<style>
* {
box-sizing: border-box;
}
body {
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
}
/* Style the header */
header {
background-color: #666;
padding: 30px;
text-align: center;
font-size: 35px;
color: white;
}
/* Create two columns/boxes that floats next to each other */
nav {
float: left;
width: 30%;
height: 300px; /* only for demonstration, should be removed */
background: #ccc;
padding: 20px;
}
/* Style the list inside the menu */
nav ul {
list-style-type: none;
padding: 0;
}
article {
float: left;
padding: 20px;
width: 70%;
background-color: #f1f1f1;
height: 300px; /* only for demonstration, should be removed */
}
/* Clear floats after the columns */
section::after {
content: "";
display: table;
clear: both;
}
/* Style the footer */
footer {
background-color: #777;
padding: 10px;
text-align: center;
color: white;
}
/* Responsive layout - makes the two columns/boxes stack on top of each other instead of next to each other, on small screens */
@media (max-width: 600px) {
nav, article {
width: 100%;
height: auto;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>CSS Layout Float</h2>
<p>In this example, we have created a header, two columns/boxes and a footer. On smaller screens, the columns will stack on top of each other.</p>
<p>Resize the browser window to see the responsive effect (you will learn more about this in our next chapter - HTML Responsive.)</p>
<header>
<h2>Cities</h2>
</header>
<section>
<nav>
<ul>
<li><a href="#">London</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Paris</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Tokyo</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>
<article>
<h1>London</h1>
<p>London is the capital city of England. It is the most populous city in the United Kingdom, with a metropolitan area of over 13 million inhabitants.</p>
<p>Standing on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium.</p>
</article>
</section>
<footer>
<p>Footer</p>
</footer>
</body>
</html>CSS Flexbox Layout
Use of flexbox ensures that elements behave predictably when the page layout must accommodate different screen sizes and different display devices.
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>CSS Template</title>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<style>
* {
box-sizing: border-box;
}
body {
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
}
/* Style the header */
header {
background-color: #666;
padding: 30px;
text-align: center;
font-size: 35px;
color: white;
}
/* Container for flexboxes */
section {
display: -webkit-flex;
display: flex;
}
/* Style the navigation menu */
nav {
-webkit-flex: 1;
-ms-flex: 1;
flex: 1;
background: #ccc;
padding: 20px;
}
/* Style the list inside the menu */
nav ul {
list-style-type: none;
padding: 0;
}
/* Style the content */
article {
-webkit-flex: 3;
-ms-flex: 3;
flex: 3;
background-color: #f1f1f1;
padding: 10px;
}
/* Style the footer */
footer {
background-color: #777;
padding: 10px;
text-align: center;
color: white;
}
/* Responsive layout - makes the menu and the content (inside the section) sit on top of each other instead of next to each other */
@media (max-width: 600px) {
section {
-webkit-flex-direction: column;
flex-direction: column;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>CSS Layout Flexbox</h2>
<p>In this example, we have created a header, two columns/boxes and a footer. On smaller screens, the columns will stack on top of each other.</p>
<p>Resize the browser window to see the responsive effect.</p>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> Flexbox is not supported in Internet Explorer 10 and earlier versions.</p>
<header>
<h2>Cities</h2>
</header>
<section>
<nav>
<ul>
<li><a href="#">London</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Paris</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Tokyo</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>
<article>
<h1>London</h1>
<p>London is the capital city of England. It is the most populous city in the United Kingdom, with a metropolitan area of over 13 million inhabitants.</p>
<p>Standing on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium.</p>
</article>
</section>
<footer>
<p>Footer</p>
</footer>
</body>
</html>CSS Grid Layout
The CSS Grid Layout Module offers a grid-based layout system, with rows and columns, making it easier to design web pages without having to use floats and positioning.
