Why Do Two 50% Width Inline-Block Elements Not Fit Side-by-Side?

Two Inline-Block Elements with 50% Width Fail to Fit Side by Side in a Row: Why?

When utilizing inline-block elements, there's an inherent issue with whitespace between them (approximately 4px wide). This means that two divs with 50% width each, plus this whitespace, exceed 100% width, causing them to break out of their intended single row.

Example:

body {
  margin: 0;
}

div {
  display: inline-block;
  width: 50%;
}

.left {
  background-color: aqua;
}

.right {
  background-color: gold;
}

<div class="left">foo</div>
<div class="right">bar</div>

Reasons for the Whitespace Issue:

• Margin Collapse: Margins of inline elements don't merge or collapse; instead, they create small spaces between the elements.
• Spacing between Inline Elements: Browsers typically add a 4px gap between inline elements if no padding or border is defined.

Alternative Solutions:

While setting one div to 49% width can resolve the gap issue, it's not an ideal practice. Alternatives include:

• Float: Floating elements removes the inline gap issue, but affects vertical alignment.
• Flexbox: Using flexbox allows for more precise layout control and avoids whitespace issues.
• CSS Grid: Modern CSS Grid layout provides a grid-based approach for controlling element positioning, eliminating the need for inline-block elements and their spacing concerns.

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