Gain insights into designing mobile-responsive web layouts using Flexbox. Delve into Box Model basics, Flexbox containers, and item alignment, and apply your knowledge to create stunning, mobile-first websites.

CBCA - CSS with Flexbox (Intermediate)-01.jpg

In this course, you will get hands-on experience in designing mobile-responsive web layouts using Flexbox. You will start with the basics like the Box Model and the process of layouting.

You will then move on to advanced concepts such as Flexbox containers, and aligning individual Flexbox items. Near the end of the course, you will put everything you just learned into practice. You will work on a project that focuses on developing a mobile-first website where you’ll experiment with page layout, headers, footers, and a lot more.

By the end of this course, you will be able to use Flexbox in your own projects to create beautiful layouts.

Designing Web Layouts with CSS and Flexbox

# Setting the main and cross axes using flex-direction 

Flexbox uses `flex-direction` to set both the main axis and the cross axis. The `flex-direction` property also sets the order in which *flex-items flow inside the flex container*.

We have four possible values for the `flex-direction` property: 

- `row`: this is the default value, you don't need to set it manually. Elements flow from left to right. The main axis is horizontal, the cross axis is vertical.
- `row-reverse`: Elements flow from right to left. The main axis is horizontal, and the cross axis is vertical just like in the case of the `row` value. 
- `column`: Elements flow from top to bottom. The main axis is vertical, and the cross axis is horizontal.
- `column-reverse`: Elements flow from bottom to top. The main axis is vertical, the cross axis is horizontal.

Let's see the four settings in an example. Let's create three flex-items inside a flex container.

```html
<div class="flex-container">
  <div class="flex-item">First</div>
  <div class="flex-item">Second</div>
  <div class="flex-item">Third</div>
</div>
```

Let's set the container and item sizes to help us focus on the effect of `flex-direction`: 

```css
.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  width: 500px;
  background-color: lightgreen;
}

.flex-item {
  width: 100px;
  margin: 10px;
  padding: 5px;
  background-color: dodgerblue;
  border: 1px solid black;
}
```


# Setting the main and cross axes using flex-direction 

Flexbox uses `flex-direction` to set both the main axis and the cross axis. The `flex-direction` property also sets the order in which *flex-items flow inside the flex container*.

We have four possible values for the `flex-direction` property: 

- `row`: this is the default value, you don't need to set it manually. Elements flow from left to right. The main axis is horizontal, the cross axis is vertical.
- `row-reverse`: Elements flow from right to left. The main axis is horizontal, and the cross axis is vertical just like in the case of the `row` value. 
- `column`: Elements flow from top to bottom. The main axis is vertical, and the cross axis is horizontal.
- `column-reverse`: Elements flow from bottom to top. The main axis is vertical, the cross axis is horizontal.

Let's see the four settings in an example. Let's create three flex-items inside a flex container.

```html
<div>
  <div>First</div>
  <div>Second</div>
  <div>Third</div>
</div>
```

Let's set the container and item sizes to help us focus on the effect of `flex-direction`: 

```css
.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  width: 500px;
  background-color: lightgreen;
}

.flex-item {
  width: 100px;
  margin: 10px;
  padding: 5px;
  background-color: dodgerblue;
  border: 1px solid black;
}
```


In this lesson, we will learn the different flex-direction settings to confidently use both horizontal and vertical Flexbox containers. We will introduce the concepts of the main-axis and cross-axis to think about Flexbox layouts on a different level.

Getting Started

Using Flexbox Containers

Aligning Individual Flexbox Items

Designing a Mobile-first Website Using Flexbox

Flexbox Conclusion and Next Steps

Flex-direction

Setting the main and cross axes using flex-direction