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CSS

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Gap, Row Gap & Column Gap

The gap property is modern shorthand for row-gap and column-gap. It provides a simple and powerful way to define the spacing, or "gutters," between flex items, eliminating the need for margin-based hacks.

Example 1: Uniform Gap

HTML

<div class="flex-container uniform-gap">
  <div class="item">1</div> <div class="item">2</div> <div class="item">3</div>
  <div class="item">4</div> <div class="item">5</div>
</div>

CSS

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  border: 2px solid #000;
}

.uniform-gap {
  gap: 20px; /* Sets a 20px gap for both rows and columns. */
}

Explanation

Using gap: 20px applies a 20-pixel space between rows and between columns. It's a clean and concise way to add consistent spacing.

Example 2: Different Row and Column Gaps

HTML

<div class="flex-container different-gaps">
  <div class="item">1</div> <div class="item">2</div> <div class="item">3</div>
  <div class="item">4</div> <div class="item">5</div>
</div>

CSS

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  border: 2px solid #000;
}

.different-gaps {
  gap: 30px 10px; /* 30px row-gap, 10px column-gap. */
}

Explanation

When two values are provided to gap, the first value sets the row-gap (space between rows) and the second value sets the column-gap (space between columns).

Example 3: Only Column Gap

HTML

<div class="flex-container column-gap-only">
  <div class="item">1</div> <div class="item">2</div> <div class="item">3</div>
</div>

CSS

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  border: 2px solid #000;
}

.column-gap-only {
  column-gap: 15px; /* Applies a 15px gap only between columns. */
}

Explanation

The column-gap property specifically targets the spacing between columns of flex items, leaving no space between rows in a wrapped container.

Example 4: Only Row Gap

HTML

<div class="flex-container row-gap-only">
  <div class="item">1</div> <div class="item">2</div> <div class="item">3</div>
  <div class="item">4</div> <div class="item">5</div>
</div>

CSS

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  border: 2px solid #000;
}

.row-gap-only {
  row-gap: 25px; /* Applies a 25px gap only between rows. */
}

Explanation

The row-gap property specifically targets the spacing between the rows of a multi-line flex container.

Example 5: Gap in a Column Layout

HTML

<div class="flex-container column-with-gap">
  <div class="item">1</div> <div class="item">2</div> <div class="item">3</div>
</div>

CSS

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column; /* Main axis is vertical. */
  border: 2px solid #4CAF50;
}

.column-with-gap {
  gap: 10px; /* Creates a 10px space between the stacked items. */
}

Explanation

The gap property works intuitively in a column layout as well. It adds a vertical space between the items, which is much cleaner than adding margin-bottom to every item except the last one.

Example 6: Responsive Gap

HTML

<div class="flex-container responsive-gap">
  <div class="item">1</div> <div class="item">2</div> <div class="item">3</div>
  <div class="item">4</div>
</div>

CSS

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  border: 2px solid #d9534f;
}

.responsive-gap {
  gap: 10px; /* Small gap for mobile. */
}

/* Increase the gap on larger screens. */
@media (min-width: 768px) {
  .responsive-gap {
    gap: 25px; /* Larger gap for tablets and desktops. */
  }
}

Explanation

You can easily change the gap property inside media queries to create responsive spacing that adapts to the screen size, providing more breathing room on larger viewports.

Example 7: Gap vs. space-between

HTML

<div class="flex-container with-gap">
  <div class="item">1</div> <div class="item">2</div> <div class="item">3</div>
</div>

<div class="flex-container with-space-between">
  <div class="item">1</div> <div class="item">2</div> <div class="item">3</div>
</div>

CSS

.with-gap {
  justify-content: flex-start; /* Items start at the edge. */
  gap: 20px; /* Gap only adds space BETWEEN items. */
}

.with-space-between {
  justify-content: space-between; /* space-between pushes items to the edges. */
}

Explanation

This example illustrates a key advantage of gap. Unlike justify-content: space-between, gap does not add space at the edges of the container, only between the items themselves, giving you more precise control over spacing.