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What is the difference between a block-level element and an inline element?

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In HTML, a block-level element is an element that takes up the full width of its parent container and creates a new line after it. Block-level elements are often used to define the structure of the content on a webpage and are typically used to contain other elements. Some examples of block-level elements include:

  • <div>: A generic container element that can be used to group other elements together
  • <h1> to <h6>: Headings of different sizes
  • <p>: A paragraph element
  • <ol> and <ul>: Ordered and unordered lists
  • <table>: A table element

 

An inline element, on the other hand, is an element that is placed inline with the surrounding text and only takes up as much width as necessary. Inline elements do not create a new line after them and are often used to format small pieces of content within a block-level element. Some examples of inline elements include:

  • <a>: A link element
  • <b> and <i>: Bold and italic formatting elements
  • <img>: An image element
  • <span>: A generic inline container element that can be used to group other inline elements together

 

You can use the display property in CSS to control whether an element is displayed as a block-level or inline element. For example, to make an element display as a block-level element, you can use the following CSS:

element {
  display: block;
}

To make an element display as an inline element, you can use the following CSS:

element {
  display: inline;
}

Keep in mind that some elements are automatically displayed as block-level or inline elements based on their default behavior in HTML. For example, the <div> element is a block-level element by default, while the <span> element is an inline element by default. You can override these default behaviors using the display property in CSS if needed.

 

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