Question

I am trying to create a variable height div. It seems if the div’s inside the variable height div are set to float:left The variable height div gets a height of 0. If I set the variable height div float:left the div grows with the content inside it but now the variable height div is sent to the left of the screen instead of the center. How do I keep the main div in the center but also have it grow with it’s child div’s?

Answer 1

Adding overflow: auto; to your main div will keep it centered, and will also force it to wrap around the elements inside of it. Two great articles on the float property and the overflow property can be found here: http://css-tricks.com/all-about-floats/ / http://css-tricks.com/the-css-overflow-property/

I wouldn’t recommend using the <div style="clear: both;"> technique, because it’s unnecessary extra markup, and doesn’t add anything to the presentation.