How Does the `vertical-align` Property Position Inline Elements?

Understanding the Vertical-Align Property

When working with vertical alignments, understanding the principles behind the "vertical-align" property is crucial. This property dictates how an inline element is positioned vertically relative to its surrounding text or elements.

Inline Element Requirement

The "vertical-align" property can only be applied to inline elements, such as span, img, and a. Inline elements flow naturally within the text flow.

Line-Height Considerations

For elements that do not normally have a line-height specified, such as images or icons, a line-height must be set to enable proper vertical alignment.

Height Value Requirement

The height of the element where "vertical-align" is applied should have a static value (not percent or auto), ensuring a consistent vertical alignment.

Containing Element vs. Targeted Element

The "vertical-align" property can be applied to both the containing element and the targeted element it should affect. However, applying it to the containing element is preferred as it affects all inline elements within that container.

Understanding Line Boxes

The "vertical-align" property aligns the vertical center of the element with the line-box of the surrounding text. The line-box encompasses one line of text, not the entire height of the container.

JsFiddle Demonstration

The JsFiddle example provided illustrates the principles of vertical alignment. The outer container is set to 200px in height, and the inner element is set to inline-block and also 200px in height. The header within the inner element is set to "vertical-align: middle;".

The expected outcome is for the header to be vertically centered within the inner element. However, since the header contains multiple lines of text, the vertical alignment is applied to the individual line-boxes, not the entire height. As a result, the header is only partially aligned within the container.

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