How to Make Flex Items' Width Determined by Content, Not Parent Container?

How to Make Flex Items Occupy Content Width Instead of Parent Width

Flexbox provides a convenient way to arrange elements. However, by default, flex items extend to the width of their parent container. This behavior may not always be desirable.

Problem:

You have a flex container with a child anchor () element. How can you make the child appear "inline," with its width determined by its content rather than expanding to the full parent width?

Failed Attempts:

Setting the display property of the child to inline-flex does not work.

Solution:

Use the following strategies:

1. Use align-items: flex-start on the Container:

This sets the alignment of all flex items vertically to the top. It overrides the default "stretch" alignment, preventing items from expanding to the full parent width.

2. Use align-self: flex-start on the Flex Item:

This sets the alignment of the specific flex item to the top, controlling its own alignment independently of the other flex items.

Example:

.container {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: flex-start;
}

a {
  padding: 10px 40px;
  background: pink;
}

Explanation:

By using align-items: flex-start or align-self: flex-start, you effectively say that the relevant flex item(s) should align to the top of the container along the cross axis (vertically) and should not expand to the full parent width. This allows the item's width to be determined by its content, achieving the desired "inline" effect.

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