How Can I Correctly Set the Height of a Parent Container with Absolutely Positioned Children?

Absolute Position and Parent Height

When working with absolutely positioned elements, it becomes challenging to determine the height of their parent containers. This issue arises when children elements are positioned absolutely or relatively within a parent container, and you want to set a suitable height for the parent element to ensure its children remain within its boundaries.

To address this issue, it's essential to recognize that absolutely positioned elements are removed from the document flow, rendering them unable to influence the dimensions of their parent containers. If setting "position: absolute" for child elements is a requirement, consider using JavaScript to dynamically adjust the height of the parent container after the child elements have been rendered. This involves using JavaScript to calculate the height of the absolutely positioned child elements and then applying that value to the parent container's height.

However, a more straightforward solution exists by utilizing the float property and margins to mimic absolute positioning while keeping the child elements within the document flow. By setting a float value for the child elements (e.g., float: left) and incorporating margins, you can achieve the desired positioning. Additionally, setting overflow: hidden on the parent container or implementing any other clearfix technique forces its height to expand to match the size of its child elements.

Here's an example of how to achieve this positioning using CSS:

article {
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
}

.one {
  position: relative;
  float: left;
  margin-top: 10px;
  margin-left: 10px;
  background: red;
  width: 30px;
  height: 30px;
}

.two {
  position: relative;
  float: right;
  margin-top: 10px;
  margin-right: 10px;
  background: blue;
  width: 30px;
  height: 30px;
}

By applying these techniques, you can effectively control the positioning of child elements and maintain the appropriate height for their parent containers.

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