Understanding CSS Box Model

Understanding CSS Box Model

Table of contents

Overview

Box models are the core concept of CSS. We can define box models,

  • Rectangular Box

  • Generated for the elements

  • Reside in the document tree

Each of the CSS models has a content area along with the possible optional surroundings,

  • Padding

  • Border

  • Margin

Now regarding margin, it is not included with the actual size of the box. Instead it grows outside the box. Only the padding and border are included with the box size

Rules

The rules for the box-sizing,

  • Box models are calculated by width, height, padding, and border

  • If no height is defined, it will take the height same as the content

  • If no width or max width is defined, it will take the width of the parent. A few exceptions are input, table, figure, span, etc.

  • The default value of the box-sizing is content-box. For the value content-border, the size of the box includes the padding and border.

Rules are not applicable for the float component.

In conclusion, understanding the CSS box model is essential for precise layout control. By mastering properties like box-sizing, padding, border, and margin, you can effectively manage the size and spacing of elements on a webpage.