Tailwind is a powerful utility-first CSS framework that offers numerous classes to style your web pages. One of the most useful classes of Tailwind is “space-between,” which adds equal space between the items on the Horizontal X-axis. Applying “space-between” to your elements is a common layout design technique used in modern web design practices. It is used to position elements in such a way that they are spread out evenly within their container but are distanced from each other. This class, when used in combination with Tailwind's “flexbox,” makes it an effective way to create modern and responsive designs.
In this article, we will explore the use of the “flexbox” and “space-between” classes in Tailwind. We will go through examples and use cases of applying space-between with fixed-width or variable-width container elements.
Starting with basics, let's begin by exploring the “flexbox” class in Tailwind, which enables the display of flexible items in a row or a column. Flexbox is a CSS layout model that allows the creation of flexible, responsive layouts by distributing and aligning space among items. To enable this class, apply the “flex” classes, which are responsible for making the parent container a “flex container,” and apply the children elements these various “flex-” classes to determine how the items are aligned within the container.
Let's build a simple example of the “flexbox” class, to better understand its properties:
<div class="flex justify-center items-center h-32 bg-yellow-300">
<div class="rounded-full h-24 w-24 bg-blue-700">
</div>
</div>
In this example, we have a parent container that is a “flex container” and a child element, a circle, that is set to a fixed width and height. We apply the “justify-center” and “items-center” classes to align the circle within the parent container horizontally and vertically.
Now let's move forward and integrate “space-between''. Space-between allows us to create even spacing between the items inside a flex container. The space is distributed between the items as well as around the items in the container. Let's take a look at how we can implement our first space-between example:
<div class="flex justify-between w-full py-8 bg-yellow-300">
<div class="rounded-full h-24 w-24 bg-blue-700">
</div>
<div class="rounded-full h-16 w-16 bg-red-500">
</div>
<div class="rounded-full h-32 w-32 bg-gray-600">
</div>
</div>
In this example, we have applied the "justify-between" class to the parent container. Inside the container, we have three child elements that are distributed with equal space between them. There is no need to individually define the spacing between the elements, and it is taken care of by the Tailwind framework.
Using the "space-between" class in combination with "flexbox" takes the design a step further and requires minimal coding. For responsive designs, we can use the "sm", "md", "lg", and "xl" breakpoints provided by the Tailwind framework.
<div class="flex flex-col sm:flex-row md:justify-between items-center py-8 bg-yellow-300">
<div class="rounded-full h-24 w-24 bg-blue-700 mb-2 sm:mb-0 sm:mr-2"></div>
<div class="rounded-full h-16 w-16 bg-red-500 mb-2 sm:mb-0 sm:mr-2"></div>
<div class="rounded-full h-32 w-32 bg-gray-600"></div>
</div>
In this example, we have modified the previous “space-between” layout to be horizontally tailored for each breakpoint. We have now defined flex-direction as a column in the mobile screen-size, while in tablet and desktop, it is row-based. The "justify-between" class set to only the medium breakpoint makes it a more precise design.
Finally, let's take a look at how we can implement "space-between" with variable-width elements.
<div class="flex flex-col md:flex-row md:justify-between items-center py-8 bg-yellow-300">
<div class="rounded-full px-4 py-2 mb-2 bg-blue-700 text-white font-semibold">Button</div>
<div class="rounded-full px-4 py-2 mb-2 bg-red-500 text-white font-semibold">Button</div>
<div class="rounded-full px-4 py-2 bg-gray-600 text-white font-semibold">Button</div>
</div>
In this last example, we have utilized variable-width elements inside our space-between layout. We have added text and background colors to make it more stylish. We can add varying padding and margin classes to achieve even more creative options. As before, these elements will be distributed evenly within their parent container automatically.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored the “flexbox” and “space-between” classes in the Tailwind CSS framework. We have seen that these classes allow us to create flexible, responsive and modern designs with minimal coding. We went through multiple examples demonstrating space-between with fixed and variable-width container elements, to create evenly distributed inputs, buttons or images.
Tailwind is an excellent framework for developers who want to focus more on design and functionality than on CSS styles. By using the “flex” and “space-between” classes, you can deliver user-friendly, professional, and responsive designs with ease.
I am happy to provide more information on the previous topics.
Flexbox:
Flexbox is a popular CSS layout model that enables creating flexible and responsive layouts. By using the “flex” classes, Tailwind CSS makes it easy to create a container with flexbox enabled. You can then apply various “flex-” classes to the child elements to determine how they should align, size and position themselves within the container. The “flex” classes come in handy in many scenarios, such as creating horizontally or vertically centered elements, ordering and aligning elements, and defining element spacing.
Here are some of the commonly used “flex-” classes:
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flex-col: The “flex-col” class will enable the container to be a flexbox with a column layout. This means the child elements will be stacked on top of each other, instead of side-by-side.
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justify-center: The “justify-center” class aligns the child elements to the center of the container on the X-axis. This means that child elements will be aligned horizontally within the container.
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justify-between: The “justify-between” class distributes the child elements evenly inside the container. This means that the first and last child elements will be at the edges of the container, and the rest will be evenly distributed across the space in between.
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self-center: The “self-center” class aligns the child element to the center of the container on the Y-axis. This means that the element will be vertically aligned within the container.
Space-between:
The “space-between” class is a powerful Tailwind CSS class that brings automatic spacing between elements, while still maintaining the responsiveness and flexibility of the design. It allows you to distribute the space between elements in a flexible container, resulting in an organized and visually appealing layout.
Here are some of the commonly used “space-between” classes:
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space-x-4: The “space-x-4” class adds a margin of 1 rem between elements on the X-axis. This means that there will be a space of 1 rem between each element in the container.
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space-y-3: The “space-y-3” class adds a margin of 0.75 rem between elements on the Y-axis. This means that there will be a space of 0.75 rem between each element in the container.
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space-evenly: The “space-evenly” class distributes the space between elements so that there is equal space between the elements and the edges of the container. This means that the space between each element will be the same, and the two outermost elements will be positioned at the edges of the container.
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space-around: The “space-around” class distributes the space between elements and the edges of the container equally. This means that the space between each element and between the elements and the edges of the container will be the same.
In conclusion, the “flexbox” and “space-between” classes are helpful tools that simplify the creation of responsive, modern, and organized designs. The Tailwind CSS framework provides developers with a wide range of utility classes that allow them to focus on the layout and functionality of their designs, without worrying too much about the CSS styling implementation. By using the “flex” and “space-between” classes, developers can create flexible and visually appealing webpages that meet user-experience requirements.
Popular questions
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What is Tailwind CSS?
Answer: Tailwind CSS is a popular utility-first CSS framework that provides a set of pre-defined CSS classes to help developers create responsive and functional web pages more easily. -
What is the purpose of the “flex” classes in Tailwind CSS?
Answer: The “flex” classes in Tailwind CSS enable the creation of flexible containers for the child elements of an HTML document. When used together, the “flex” classes provide developers with tools to easily align, order, and size elements in a container. -
What is the purpose of the “space-between” class in Tailwind CSS?
Answer: The “space-between” class in Tailwind CSS provides an easy-to-use way to distribute space between elements within a container. It is a helpful layout technique used to create a visually appealing and organized design. -
Can you explain a use case for applying both “flex” and “space-between” classes in a Tailwind CSS layout?
Answer: Sure! For example, you may use the “flex” class to create a horizontally-aligned row of child elements in a container, then use the “space-between” class to evenly distribute space between those elements, ensuring that they are visually appealing and organized. -
How can the Tailwind CSS framework help developers create responsive designs?
Answer: The Tailwind CSS framework provides developers with responsive classes that can be applied to elements of an HTML document, allowing for the creation of responsive designs that adjust to different screen sizes and device types. The “sm”, “md”, “lg”, and “xl” breakpoints offered by Tailwind provide a convenient way to style elements at different screen sizes, optimizing the user experience.
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