Last Updated on September 25, 2023 by Mayank Dham
Within HTML, you’ve encountered various tags, each of which possesses a default display value, contingent upon its element type. Essentially, HTML elements conform to two fundamental display categories: (a) Block and (b) Inline. This article will delve into the details of block and inline elements in HTML.
What is Block elements in HTML?
Block-level elements are those that typically start a new line on a webpage and take up the full available width by default. Also, Browser adds a margin to its border.
For eg – < div> , < p>, etc.
< h2>This is to check the block Elements
< div>
< p>This is a paragrah-1 inside div1
< /div>Here the < div> tag is a block-level element that is used to group together other HTML elements and create a container that can be styled. Also, here both < p> and < h2> also act as block elements.
Output:
What is Inline Element in HTML?
Inline-level elements, on the other hand, do not start a new line on a webpage and only take up as much width as necessary to display their content.
The browser does not add any extra space or margin to it.
For eg – < span>, < a>, < b> , etc.
< h1>This is for inline Element>
< p>span starts here –
< span>This is a span inside a paragraph< /span>
Span ends here< /p>
Here the < span> tag is an inline-level element that is used to group and apply styling to small pieces of text or other inline-level elements
Output:
Difference between inline and block level elements:
Here are some key differences between block-level and inline-level elements in HTML:
1. Layout –
- Block-level elements take the full width available to them, start on a new line
- Inline-level elements only take as much width as necessary to display their content and stay in the same line as other inline elements.
2. Nesting –
- Block-level elements can contain both block-level and inline-level elements
- Inline-level elements can only contain other inline-level elements or text.
3. Content-
- Block-level elements are typically used to define larger sections of content
- Inline-level elements are often used to add style to specific parts of a block-level element’s content.
4. Display –
Block-level elements are displayed as a rectangular block
Inline-level elements are displayed within the text flow
5. Semantic meaning –
Block-level elements are mostly used to define structural elements such as headings, paragraphs, and lists
Inline-level elements are mostly used for text formatting, hyperlinks, and images.
Hence these are the very basic but noticeable differences between block and inline elements in HTML.
Some supported Block Elements are –
These are some of the Block elements in HTML –
- HTML < article> Tag
- HTML < figcaption> Tag
- HTML < fieldset> Tag
- HTML < figure> Tag
- HTML < footer> Tag
- HTML < header> Tag
- HTML < canvas> Tag
- HTML < form> Tag
- HTML < Heading> Tag
- HTML < hr> Tag
- HTML < li> Tag
- HTML < main> Tag
- HTML < nav> Tag
- HTML < noscript> Tag
- HTML < ol> Tag
Some supported Inline Elements are –
These are some of the Block elements in HTML –
- HTML < a> Tag
- HTML < span> Tag
- HTML < abbr> Tag
- HTML < acronym> Tag
- HTML < b> Tag
- HTML < cite> Tag
- HTML < code> Tag
- HTML < dfn> Tag
- HTML < em> Tag
- HTML < i> Tag
- HTML < strong> Tag
- HTML < sub> Tag
- HTML < sup> Tag
- HTML < textarea> tag
- HTML < bdo> Tag
- HTML < big> Tag
- HTML < img> Tag
- HTML < input> Tag
- HTML < kbd> Tag
- HTML < label> Tag
Conclusion –
In HTML, understanding the distinction between block and inline elements is fundamental for web developers and designers. Block elements create a visible block-level structure, typically starting on a new line and extending the full width of their container, while inline elements flow within the content and only take up as much width as necessary.
FAQs related to Block Element in HTML
1. What is the key difference between block and inline elements in HTML?
Block elements create distinct, block-level structures, while inline elements flow within the content, taking up only as much width as needed.
2. Can block and inline elements be nested within each other?
Yes, block and inline elements can be nested within one another, but the outermost element’s display type will typically dominate the layout behavior.
3. How can I change the display property of an element in HTML and CSS?
You can change the display property using CSS by specifying the display property and setting it to values like block, inline, inline-block, or others, depending on your desired layout.
4. What are some common examples of block-level elements?
Common block-level elements include < div>, < p>, < h1> to < h6>, < ul>, < ol>, and < li>.
5. Which HTML elements are typically inline elements?
Some commonly used inline elements are < span>, < a>, < strong>, < em>, < img>, and < br>.