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General Discussion

Posted by Kristian Woods
Kristian Woods
23,414 Points

Is using Flexbox for all of your projects a bad idea?

I know there are a few ways to create the same layout result in CSS, however, I really favour Flexbox. It feels easier to use, plus you don't need to worry about inline/block display modes, not to mention the fact you don't have to bother with floats and collapsing parents, amongst other advantages. However, I know there will be times when using floats etc will be necessary.

My question is; can you use Flexbox for all types of projects without feeling like you're not utilising CSS to the best of its ability? I almost feel like I'm cheating in my layout because Flexbox is, in my opinion, easier to use. Should I not rely on it so heavily, and use it sparingly?

Thanks in advance

K

1 Answer

Joel Bardsley
Joel Bardsley
31,258 Points
Joel Bardsley
Joel Bardsley
31,258 Points

Many are using Flexbox in production, and Zurb Foundation v6 currently provides a flexbox-supported version of their grid system. Bootstrap v4 will also include it, but it's still in alpha as of writing.

I currently don't use Flexbox in production as my clients mostly require support down to IE8, but I'm looking forward to being able to use it and wouldn't consider it 'cheating' once the time comes. I expect some felt the same way when switching over from table layouts to divs, but technology evolves to make our lives easier so why not take advantage of it - as long as it works, that's the main thing.

Just be aware of the current limitations flexbox support in IE and apply fallbacks or use a polyfill where necessary.