Unlock the Power of Vertical Alignment in CSS
When it comes to styling inline elements or elements displayed as inline-block, the CSS vertical-align property is a game-changer. But did you know it also works its magic on table-cell elements? Let’s dive into the world of vertical alignment and explore its syntax, values, and keywords.
The Syntax of Vertical Alignment
The vertical-align property is straightforward, with a syntax that’s easy to grasp. Check out this demo to see it in action: See the Pen CSS Vertical Align Example by Solomon Eseme (@kaperskyguru) on CodePen.
Keywords: The Building Blocks of Vertical Alignment
The vertical-align property relies on a range of keywords to achieve the desired alignment. Here are the most commonly used ones:
- Baseline: The default value, which aligns the element to the baseline of its parent element.
- Top: Aligns the element to the height of the tallest element on a line.
- Bottom: Aligns the element to the bottom, at the same level as the longest element below.
- Middle: Aligns the element with the center of its parent element.
- Text-Top: Aligns the element using the top of the tallest letter in the line of its parent element.
- Text-Bottom: Aligns the element using the bottom of the longest letter in the line of its parent element.
- Sub: Aligns the element below the baseline of its parent element, similar to the
<sub>tag. - Super: Aligns the element above the baseline of its parent element, similar to the
<sup>tag.
Length and Percentage Values: Fine-Tuning Your Alignment
In addition to keywords, the vertical-align property also accepts length and percentage values. These allow you to align the element at a specific unit, with positive numbers aligning above the baseline and negative values aligning below. You can use any length unit, such as px, em, or %.
Global Values: The Ultimate Flexibility
The vertical-align property also includes two global values:
- Initial: Sets the alignment of the element to its default, which is baseline.
- Inherit: Sets the alignment of the element to the value of its parent element.
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