Understanding the concept of contain in CSS

css contain intrinsic width guide
10 November 2024

Introduction to the concept of contain-intrinsic-width in CSS

In the world of web design, there are many topics that can be controversial, and one of these topics is about the concept of intrinsic width. This concept refers to providing greater control over how web elements are displayed in browsers. In CSS, the contain-intrinsic-width feature allows you to specifically control the intrinsic width of an element and can assist in making decisions related to the display of elements.

The features related to contain are often used in more precise collections than the traditional CSS properties, which aim to enhance user experience on web pages. By utilizing intrinsic width, you can create your content more precisely and beautifully.

With the extensive applications in the world of design and web development, a complete and accurate understanding of intrinsic width can help to improve your site’s SEO and provide a better user experience. By using these properties, you can structure your content in a manner that displays correctly across various browsers.

To achieve the best results, the use of these features should align precisely with the specific needs of your projects. In the following, I will demonstrate the usage of the contain-intrinsic-width feature with an example.


    <style>
    .my-element {
      contain: intrinsic-width;
      max-width: 100%;
    }
    </style>
    <div class="my-element">
      Your content is displayed here.
    </div>
  

Line-by-Line Explanation

<style>: This is the beginning of the style rules for applying CSS.

.my-element: This is the class selector that will be applied to any element that has this class.

contain: intrinsic-width;: This sets the type of contain property for the element, which indicates that the intrinsic content width should be considered.

max-width: 100%;: This limits the width of the element to 100% of its parent element's width, to prevent overflow.

</style>: This ends the block of CSS styles for this section.

<div class="my-element">: This creates a div with the previously defined class.

Your content is displayed here.: The text that will be shown inside the div.

</div>: This signifies the end of the div, containing the text.

FAQ

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Why should I use contain-intrinsic-width in my projects?

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How can I benefit from contain properties in CSS?