SOLVED: by @g6d3np81@kbin.social using columns property

TL;DR: I want to achieve this behavior for the menu layout, but all I can get is this; note the different menu options order.

Two days ago I asked for help for implementing the current behavior without hardcoding the menu height for each resolution step, and there were two suggestions to try display: grid. It looked promising and after reading some documentation I was able to get something very close to what I’m looking for.

The only difference being that I want the chapters to be sorted vertically (as in the current version), but what I got sorts the chapters horizontally.

Here it is (what I think is) the relevant code:

#menu ul {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
  grid-auto-flow: row dense;
}

Sorry, I don’t have the display: grid version online.

I did a quick search for display grid multiple columns vertical sort and saw this StackOverflow post: CSS Grid vertical columns with infinite rows which, if I understand correctly, says it’s not possible. But I’m pretty sure I’m not understanding it correctly.

Any help will be welcome, thanks!

EDIT: I also tried grid-audto-flow: column (as suggested here) but it just renders a single row. Probably because I’m missing something…

#menu ul {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
  grid-auto-flow: column;
}

EDIT-2: I was told that for grid-audto-flow: column to work I need to specify the numbers of columns. If I understand correctly, then that doesn’t really help. The original issue is that I need to edit the CSS file every time a new chapter is added. Which would be the same if I have to hardcode the number of rows.

I mean, it’s a bit cleaner to hardcode the number of rows than the height in pixels, but I was looking for a solution that doesn’t require magic numbers in the CSS.

  • g6d3np81@kbin.social
    2·
    1 year ago

    Generally you don’t need anything for child element, except in rare case, which you have seen before a fix…
    Columns usually try to balance every columns to have same height, and last column have least items.

    EDIT: In your case, <li> having a margin-top, which got clipped when new column starts. I don’t know if there is a fix for this but I would use padding instead.

    CSS is chaotic, dude.

    ul {
  /* reset */
  margin: 0;
  padding: 16px;

  columns: 2;
  /* box-sizing: border-box; */
}
  @media screen and (min-width: 640px) {
    ul {
      columns: 3;
    }
  }
  @media screen and (min-width: 960px) {
    ul {
      columns: 4;
    }
  }

  ul li {
    list-style-type: none;
    padding: 2px 16px 2px 4px;
    font-size: 120%;

    display: flex;
    break-inside: avoid;
  }
  ul li a {
    /* display: inline-block; */
    background-color: #35516c;
    color: #d2dade;
    text-decoration: none;
    padding: 2px 8px;
    border: solid 1px #d2dade;

    flex-grow: 0;
  }
    ul li a:first-child {
      flex-grow: 1;
      /* width: 106px; */
      /* margin-right: -3px; */
    }
    ul li a:hover {
      background-color: #1e445d;
      color: #fff;
      border: solid 1px #fff;
    }
    • Crul@lemm.ee
      1·
      1 year ago

      Generally you don’t need anything for child element,

      Makes sense. in this case the margin was there from the “display: flex version” and I didn’t realize in the first tests.

      Columns usually try to balance every columns to have same height, and last column have least items.

      Which is exactly what I wanted… and was confused as to why there wasn’t an easy option. This is perfect.

      Thank you very much!