HTML and CSS Challenges and Coding Solutions
Ready to get started with the web? Our HTML and CSS exercises are a practical, hands-on way to learn the building blocks of the internet. From layout problems to styling anomalies, we’ve got the solutions to the most typical issues you’ll encounter. These exercises will cement your understanding and prepare you for real-world coding projects. Get started and take your coding skills to the next level today! Ready to dig in further? Check out our in-depth HTML and CSS Course syllabus.
HTML and CSS Problems and Solutions
HTML and CSS are the basis for constructing web pages. Below are 10 problems with solutions, examples, and code.
Centering a Div
Centering is a frequent issue, particularly in outdated CSS layouts. A universal solution to horizontal and vertical centering is the use of Flexbox.
Challenge: You want to center a div horizontally and vertically inside its parent container.
Solution: Apply Flexbox to the parent element.
Real-world Usage: Center a modal dialog box, a loading spinner, or a particular content block on a page.
Sample Code:
HTML
<div class=”parent-container”>
<div class=”centered-div”>
I am centered!
</div>
</div>
CSS
.parent-container {
display: flex;
justify-content: center; /* Centers horizontally */
align-items: center; /* Centers vertically */
height: 100vh; /* Example height to make centering visible */
}
.centered-div {
width: 200px;
height: 200px;
background-color: lightblue;
}
Recommended: CSS Course Syllabus.
The Box Model
Understanding the CSS box model is essential to managing element size and spacing. The box model is made up of content, padding, border, and margin.
Challenge: You don’t get the expected size of an element because of padding and borders.
Solution: Set box-sizing to border-box. This includes padding and borders in the width and height properties.
Real-world Application: Developing uniform grids and layouts where everything, independent of padding or border, has the same cumulative width.
Sample Code:
HTML
<div class=”box-a”>Box A</div>
<div class=”box-b”>Box B</div>
CSS
.box-a {
width: 100px;
height: 100px;
padding: 20px;
border: 5px solid black;
background-color: lightcoral;
}
.box-b {
width: 100px;
height: 100px;
padding: 20px;
border: 5px solid black;
background-color: lightgreen;
box-sizing: border-box; /* The magic property */
}
Recommended: HTML Tutorial for Beginners.
Creating a Responsive Navbar
A navbar needs to be responsive to varying screen sizes, often by placing items vertically when viewed on small screens.
Challenge: A horizontal navbar appears broken on phones.
Solution: Implement CSS Media Queries to use various styles depending on the screen width. Flexbox can also be utilized to deal with the layout.
Real-world Application: Responsive navigation is used in all contemporary websites and online stores to provide usability across phones, tablets, and desktops.
Sample Code:
HTML
<nav class=”navbar”>
<a href=”#”>Home</a>
<a href=”#”>About</a>
<a href=”#”>Services</a>
<a href=”#”>Contact</a>
</nav>
CSS
.navbar {
display: flex;
background-color: #333;
overflow: hidden;
}
.navbar a {
color: white;
padding: 14px 20px;
text-decoration: none;
}
@media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
.navbar {
flex-direction: column;
}
}
Recommended: HTML Course Online.
Form Customization
Selling form elements such as radio buttons, checkboxes, and file inputs may be tricky since these are usually managed by the browser’s default styling.
Challenge: Your site’s design doesn’t have matching default browser styles for form elements.
Solution: Override the default element with a pseudo-element (::before or ::after) on its label to provide a custom-styled replacement.
Real-world Application: Designing a uniform look across an entire website’s user interface, including forms.
Sample Code:
HTML
<label class=”custom-checkbox”>
<input type=”checkbox”>
<span>I agree to the terms</span>
</label>
CSS
.custom-checkbox input {
display: none; /* Hide the default checkbox */
}
.custom-checkbox span::before {
content: ”;
display: inline-block;
width: 20px;
height: 20px;
border: 2px solid #ccc;
margin-right: 10px;
vertical-align: middle;
}
.custom-checkbox input:checked + span::before {
background-color: blue;
border-color: blue;
}
Recommended: CSS Tutorial for Beginners.
Overlapping Elements
Controlling the stacking order of elements is critical for producing complex overlays and layouts.
Challenge: One element is stacking on top of another in an unwanted fashion.
Solution: Apply the z-index property. Elements that have a higher z-index will be displayed on top of elements that have a lower one. The property only applies to positioned elements (position: relative, absolute, fixed, or sticky).
Real-world Application: Designing pop-up menus, tooltips, or image carousels where some elements should be on top of others.
Sample Code:
HTML
<div class=”behind”>I am behind</div>
<div class=”front”>I am in front</div>
CSS
.behind {
position: absolute;
top: 10px;
left: 10px;
z-index: 1;
background-color: lightcoral;
width: 150px;
height: 150px;
}
.front {
position: absolute;
top: 50px;
left: 50px;
z-index: 2; /* This will be on top */
background-color: lightgreen;
width: 150px;
height: 150px;
}
Sticky Footer
One typical layout issue is keeping the footer at the bottom of the viewport, even if the content is brief.
Challenge: The footer “floats up” and rests just above the content rather than at the bottom of the window.
Solution: Apply a Flexbox layout to the body or main container.
Real-world Application: Business websites, blogs, and single-page applications where the length of content can be very different.
Sample Code:
HTML
<body>
<header>Header</header>
<main>
<p>Short content…</p>
</main>
<footer>Footer</footer>
</body>
CSS
body {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
min-height: 100vh;
}
main {
flex-grow: 1;
}
footer {
background-color: #333;
color: white;
text-align: center;
padding: 1rem;
}
Recommended: CSS Course Online.
Consistent Grid Layouts
Maintaining a consistent grid for cards, products, or gallery items can be tricky without the right tool.
Challenge: Creating a multi-column grid that automatically adjusts based on the available space without gaps or broken rows.
Solution: CSS Grid is the ideal solution for two-dimensional layouts. It provides powerful controls for rows and columns.
Real-world Application: Product listings on e-commerce sites, photo galleries, and portfolio layouts.
Sample Code:
HTML
<div class=”grid-container”>
<div class=”card”>Card 1</div>
<div class=”card”>Card 2</div>
<div class=”card”>Card 3</div>
<div class=”card”>Card 4</div>
</div>
CSS
.grid-container {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(250px, 1fr));
gap: 20px;
}
.card {
background-color: #f4f4f4;
padding: 20px;
border-radius: 5px;
box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
}
The rem and em Dilemma
Selecting between em (root em) and em for font sizes and spacing is puzzling.
Challenge: You need to develop a scalable design but do not know whether to implement em or rem.
Solution: Apply rem for font sizes in most elements. It is relative to the font size of the root html element, so scaling the whole page layout is simpler. Apply em to elements that have to be relative to the parent, like padding or margin on a given component.
Real-world Application: Developing an accessible design system which can be scaled easily up or down for accessibility reasons or varying device sizes.
Sample Code:
HTML
<div class=”component”>
<h2>Title</h2>
<p>This is some text.</p>
</div>
CSS
html {
font-size: 16px; /* Base font size */
}
.component {
font-size: 1rem; /* Inherits from html */
padding: 1em; /* Relative to its own font-size (1rem = 16px) */
}
h2 {
font-size: 1.5rem; /* 1.5 * 16px = 24px */
}
Recommended: CSS Course in Chennai.
Handling Image Responsiveness
Images can straightforwardly destroy a layout if they are not managed properly on various screen sizes.
Challenge: Large images overflow their container or become distorted on smaller screens.
Solution: Apply max-width: 100% and height: auto on images. This allows the image to reduce its size to fit into its container while keeping its aspect ratio intact.
Real-world Use: Image galleries, product pages, and blog posts where images are an essential part of the content.
Sample Code:
HTML
<div class=”image-container”>
<img src=”path/to/your/image.jpg” alt=”A responsive image”>
</div>
CSS
.image-container img {
max-width: 100%;
height: auto;
display: block; /* Removes any default space below the image */
}
The Holy Grail Layout
This is the traditional structure made up of a header, footer, and three primary columns (a center content column and two sidebars).
Challenge: Coming up with a fluid three-column layout whose columns are equal in height and whose footer is fixed.
Solution: CSS Grid is the contemporary and strongest solution to this.
Real-world Application: Blogs, news sites, and administrative panels.
Sample Code:
HTML
<div class=”holy-grail-layout”>
<header>Header</header>
<div class=”main-content”>
<aside class=”left-sidebar”>Left Sidebar</aside>
<main>Main Content</main>
<aside class=”right-sidebar”>Right Sidebar</aside>
</div>
<footer>Footer</footer>
</div>
CSS
.holy-grail-layout {
display: grid;
grid-template-rows: auto 1fr auto;
min-height: 100vh;
}
.main-content {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 200px 1fr 200px;
}
header, footer {
padding: 1rem;
background-color: #f1f1f1;
}
main {
padding: 1rem;
}
Explore: All Web Development Courses.
Conclusion
Mastering HTML and CSS is a practice of ongoing skills acquisition and troubleshooting. By overcoming these hurdles, you’ve also picked up real-world experience with important concepts such as Flexbox, Grid, and responsive design, translating knowledge into practice. These are just a few of many obstacles that will come your way as a developer, but with a strong foundation, you’re prepared for whatever. Ready to create more? Sign up for our full HTML and CSS course in Chennai and elevate your skills to the next level.