Why Do Floating Elements Extend Beyond Their Containing Div's Boundaries, and How Can I Fix It?

Floating Elements Exceeding Div Boundaries: Causes and Solutions

When placing elements within a div and setting a specific width for the div, unexpected behavior may occur where floating elements extend beyond the div's boundaries. This happens because of the inherent nature of float, which removes the element from the normal flow.

Reason for the Issue

When an element is floated, it is removed from the document flow and positioned at the left or right of the containing div. Therefore, the floating elements do not affect the height or width of the container div as they are not considered part of its content.

Solutions to Stretch Floating Elements

There are several ways to address this issue and ensure that floated elements stretch the height of the containing div:

1. Set Overflow Property to "hidden"

Add the following CSS to the parent div:

#parent {
  overflow: hidden;
}

By setting overflow: hidden, the parent div will expand to accommodate its content, including the floated elements.

2. Float the Parent Div

Float the parent div as well by adding the following CSS:

#parent {
  float: left;
  width: 100%;
}

Floating the parent div allows its floated children to stretch its height.

3. Use a Clear Element

Insert a clear element within the parent div immediately after the floated elements:

<div>

CSS styles for the clear element:

span.clear {
  clear: left;
  display: block;
}

The clear element forces the floated elements to start at the beginning of the next line, allowing the parent div to stretch to accommodate them.

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