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Mastering CSS grid-auto-columns for Flexible Layouts

Learn how to use CSS grid-auto-columns for flexible grid layouts.

Control implicit column sizes with auto, length, percentage, minmax(), and more.

Introduction

The grid-auto-columns CSS property is a handy tool for defining the size of implicitly-created grid columns. This property has been widely supported since July 2020 and helps you create flexible and responsive grid layouts.

Specification

The grid-auto-columns property is part of the CSS Grid Layout Module Level 2 specification. It’s defined in the CSS Grid Layout Module Level 2 and is crucial for managing grid layouts.

Description

The grid-auto-columns CSS property controls the size of implicitly-created grid columns. It’s useful when grid items are placed into columns that aren’t explicitly defined by the grid-template-columns property. This property allows you to use various values like auto, lengths, percentages, and more to define the size of these columns.

Baseline Compatibility

The grid-auto-columns property is widely supported across many browsers and devices since July 2020. This ensures that your grid layouts will work consistently across different platforms.

Syntax

The syntax for the grid-auto-columns property is straightforward:

grid-auto-columns: <track-size>+;

Here are some examples of how you can use it:

grid-auto-columns: auto;
grid-auto-columns: 100px;
grid-auto-columns: 20%;
grid-auto-columns: 0.5fr;
grid-auto-columns: minmax(100px, auto);
grid-auto-columns: fit-content(400px);

Values

The grid-auto-columns property supports various values:

Length Values: Specify the exact size of the column.
```
grid-auto-columns: 100px;
```
Percentage Values: Relative to the block size of the grid container.
```
grid-auto-columns: 10%;
```
Flex Values: Specify the track’s flex factor.
```
grid-auto-columns: 0.5fr;
```
Max-Content: Largest maximal content contribution of the grid items.
```
grid-auto-columns: max-content;
```
Min-Content: Largest minimal content contribution of the grid items.
```
grid-auto-columns: min-content;
```
Minmax(min, max): Defines a size range.
```
grid-auto-columns: minmax(100px, auto);
```
Fit-Content(): Clamps the track size at the specified length.
```
grid-auto-columns: fit-content(400px);
```
Auto: Represents the range between the minimum and maximum sizes.
```
grid-auto-columns: auto;
```

Global Values

Inherit: Inherits the value from the parent element.
Initial: Sets the property to its default value.
Revert: Resets the property to the user agent’s default stylesheet.
Revert-Layer: Resets the property considering the cascade layer.
Unset: Resets the property to its natural value.

grid-auto-columns: inherit;
grid-auto-columns: initial;
grid-auto-columns: revert;
grid-auto-columns: revert-layer;
grid-auto-columns: unset;

Formal Definition

The grid-auto-columns property is used to specify the size of implicitly-created grid columns.

Initial Value

The initial value for grid-auto-columns is auto.

Applies To

This property applies to grid containers.

Inherited

This property is not inherited from the parent element.

Percentages

Percentage values refer to the corresponding dimension of the content area. If the block size of the grid container is indefinite, the percentage value is treated like auto.

Computed Value

The computed value is either the specified percentage or the absolute length.

Animation Type

The animation type is by computed value type.

Formal Syntax

The formal syntax for the grid-auto-columns property is:

grid-auto-columns: <track-size>+;

Track Size

<track-size> = <track-breadth> | minmax( <inflexible-breadth> , <track-breadth> ) | fit-content( <length-percentage [0,∞]> );

Track Breadth

<track-breadth> = <length-percentage [0,∞]> | <flex [0,∞]> | min-content | max-content | auto;

Inflexible Breadth

<inflexible-breadth> = <length-percentage [0,∞]> | min-content | max-content | auto;

Length-Percentage

<length-percentage> = <length> | <percentage>;

Example

Here’s an example to illustrate how to use the grid-auto-columns property:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>Grid Auto Columns Example</title>
  <style>
    .grid-container {
      display: grid;
      grid-auto-columns: minmax(100px, auto);
      grid-gap: 10px;
    }
    .grid-item {
      background-color: lightblue;
      padding: 20px;
      border: 1px solid #000;
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <div class="grid-container">
    <div class="grid-item">Item 1</div>
    <div class="grid-item">Item 2</div>
    <div class="grid-item">Item 3</div>
    <div class="grid-item">Item 4</div>
  </div>
</body>
</html>

In this example, the grid-auto-columns property is used to create a grid layout where the implicit columns have a minimum size of 100px and can grow to accommodate the content.

Examples

To better understand how to use the grid-auto-columns property, let’s explore some practical examples. Each example demonstrates a different way to specify the size of implicitly-created grid columns.

Example: Using `grid-auto-columns`

HTML:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>CSS grid-auto-columns Property</title>
    <style>
        .main {
            display: grid;
            grid-template-areas: "a a";
            grid-gap: 20px;
            padding: 30px;
            background-color: green;
            grid-auto-columns: auto;
        }

        .GFG {
            text-align: center;
            font-size: 35px;
            background-color: white;
            padding: 20px 0;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="main">
        <div class="GFG">1</div>
        <div class="GFG">2</div>
        <div class="GFG">3</div>
        <div class="GFG">4</div>
        <div class="GFG">5</div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Output: Placeholder because (https://media.Website.org/wp-content/uploads/auto-5.png not found)

HTML:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>CSS grid-auto-columns Property</title>
    <style>
        .main {
            display: grid;
            grid-template-areas: "a a";
            grid-gap: 20px;
            padding: 30px;
            background-color: green;
            grid-auto-columns: 8.5cm;
        }

        .GFG {
            text-align: center;
            font-size: 35px;
            background-color: white;
            padding: 20px 0;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="main">
        <div class="GFG">1</div>
        <div class="GFG">2</div>
        <div class="GFG">3</div>
        <div class="GFG">4</div>
        <div class="GFG">5</div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Output: Placeholder because (https://media.Website.org/wp-content/uploads/integer-1.png not found)

HTML:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>CSS grid-auto-columns Property</title>
    <style>
        .main {
            display: grid;
            grid-template-areas: "a a";
            grid-gap: 20px;
            padding: 30px;
            background-color: green;
            grid-auto-columns: 30%;
        }

        .GFG {
            text-align: center;
            font-size: 35px;
            background-color: white;
            padding: 20px 0;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="main">
        <div class="GFG">1</div>
        <div class="GFG">2</div>
        <div class="GFG">3</div>
        <div class="GFG">4</div>
        <div class="GFG">5</div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Output: Placeholder because (https://media.Website.org/wp-content/uploads/percentage-3.png not found)

HTML:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>CSS grid-auto-columns Property</title>
    <style>
        .main {
            display: grid;
            grid-template-areas: "a a";
            grid-gap: 20px;
            padding: 30px;
            background-color: green;
            grid-auto-columns: minmax(100px, 4cm);
        }

        .GFG {
            text-align: center;
            font-size: 35px;
            background-color: white;
            padding: 20px 0;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="main">
        <div class="GFG">1</div>
        <div class="GFG">2</div>
        <div class="GFG">3</div>
        <div class="GFG">4</div>
        <div class="GFG">5</div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Output: Placeholder because (https://media.Website.org/wp-content/uploads/minmax-1.png not found)

HTML:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>CSS grid-auto-columns Property</title>
    <style>
        .main {
            display: grid;
            grid-template-areas: "a a";
            grid-gap: 20px;
            padding: 30px;
            background-color: green;
            grid-auto-columns: initial;
        }

        .GFG {
            text-align: center;
            font-size: 35px;
            background-color: white;
            padding: 20px 0;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="main">
        <div class="GFG">1</div>
        <div class="GFG">2</div>
        <div class="GFG">3</div>
        <div class="GFG">4</div>
        <div class="GFG">5</div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Output: Placeholder because (https://media.Website.org/wp-content/uploads/initial-inherit.png not found)

HTML:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>CSS grid-auto-columns Property</title>
    <style>
        .main {
            display: grid;
            grid-template-areas: "a a";
            grid-gap: 20px;
            padding: 30px;
            background-color: green;
            grid-auto-columns: inherit;
        }

        .GFG {
            text-align: center;
            font-size: 35px;
            background-color: white;
            padding: 20px 0;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="main">
        <div class="GFG">1</div>
        <div class="GFG">2</div>
        <div class="GFG">3</div>
        <div class="GFG">4</div>
        <div class="GFG">5</div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Output: Placeholder because (https://media.Website.org/wp-content/uploads/initial-inherit.png not found)

Browser Compatibility

The grid-auto-columns property is well-supported across a wide range of browsers, ensuring that your grid layouts function consistently across different platforms and devices. This feature has been available since July 2020 and is compatible with the following browser versions:

Google Chrome: Version 57 and above (released in March 2017)
Mozilla Firefox: Version 52 and above (released in March 2017)
Microsoft Edge: Version 16 and above (released in September 2017)
Opera: Version 44 and above (released in March 2017)
Safari: Version 10 and above (released in September 2016)

For the most up-to-date information on browser compatibility, you can refer to the Browser Compatibility Data (BCD) provided by MDN Web Docs.

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Mastering CSS grid-auto-columns for Flexible Layouts

Introduction

Specification

Description

Baseline Compatibility

Syntax

Values

Global Values

Formal Definition

Initial Value

Applies To

Inherited

Percentages

Computed Value

Animation Type

Formal Syntax

Track Size

Track Breadth

Inflexible Breadth

Length-Percentage

Example

Examples

Example: Using grid-auto-columns

Browser Compatibility

See Also

Talk with CEO

Example: Using `grid-auto-columns`