The Differences Between Absolute and Relative
When it comes to web development, there are a few essential terms that you should know. Two of the most important of these are absolute and relative. These terms refer to how an element on a webpage is positioned.
What Is Absolute?
Absolute positioning involves specifying how far away an element is from an edge of the viewport or a particular container element. An absolute position is generally given in units such as pixels or ems. Absolute positioning is often used to move an element precisely to a particular location on a page, like a menu bar or a sidebar.
If an element is positioned using absolute positioning, it is no longer affected by any other element’s position or size. This means that it can be positioned precisely and consistently across a range of screens and devices.
What Is Relative?
In contrast, relative positioning involves specifying an element’s position in relation to the element’s original position. This is often done using percentages or ems. The relative position is determined by the element’s position before it was moved or changed.
When using relative positioning, an element is usually positioned in relation to its parent element. This means that it can be moved around more easily as other elements on the page change size, location, or other properties.
The Pros and Cons of Absolute and Relative Positioning
Both absolute and relative positioning can be useful in different situations. Absolute positioning is often used for elements that are meant to stay in one location no matter what happens around them. This could be a menu bar, a sidebar, or an image that should always be positioned in the same place.
Relative positioning, on the other hand, is often used for fluid layouts that need to adjust to different screen sizes and resolutions. By using relative positioning, an element can move and adjust in relation to other elements on the page, ensuring that everything looks maximum consistent and professional.
The downside of absolute positioning is that it can be challenging to use in a responsive layout, as the position of the element will be fixed at the specified coordinates. However, the drawback of relative positioning is that it can be challenging to get everything in the right place because other elements can affect the position of an object.
Conclusion
In essence, both absolute and relative positioning are essential in web development. They are used to make websites that are consistent, professional, and responsive to different devices and screen sizes. Knowing how they work can help you develop your website and give you more control over your page elements.
Table difference between absolute and relative
Here is an example of an HTML table that explains the difference between absolute and relative:
“`
| Property | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| position | Determines the positioning method of an element | position: absolute; or position: relative; |
| top, right, bottom, left | Defines the offset of an element from its normal position | top: 50px;, right: 20%;, etc. |
| Normal flow | Elements flow one after the other following their order in the HTML code |  |
| Absolute positioning | Elements are taken out of the normal flow and positioned relative to the closest positioned ancestor |  |
| Relative positioning | Elements are moved relative to their normal position, but remain in the normal flow |  |
“`
In this table, we explain the properties `position`, `top`, `right`, `bottom`, and `left`, as well as the concepts of normal flow, absolute positioning, and relative positioning. We use examples and images to illustrate the differences between these concepts.