Question

How do I make a block-level element, such as a div stretch to the available width?

I know that this may seem like a question with an obvious answer, but it is a tad bit more complicated that it seems, have a look at this Fiddle:

http://jsfiddle.net/spryno724/pZKgv/

The CSS sets a left and right margin for the containing div to 20% on each side. Setting the width property causes it to stretch 100% of the original available space, causing it to spill off the side of the screen when the 20% margins are added to each side.

How can this be fixed, such that 20% margins still exist, but the div stretches to fill the remaining space in between?

Answer 1

This is what you had:

.error {
  border: 1px solid black;
  display: inline-block;
  margin-left: 20%;
  margin-right: 20%;
  position: fixed;
  top: 0;
  width: 100%;
}​

Try this one:

.error {
  border: 1px solid black;
  margin-left: 20%;
  margin-right: 20%;
  top: 0;
}​