Flex Container Items Alignment Left

In a mobile menu, a list of social media icons is arranged using flexbox. To ensure equal spacing, justify-content: space-around is employed. However, when rows contain more than three items, they center-align instead of left-aligning.

The Quandary

The issue arises because justify-content: space-around evenly distributes items with half-size spaces on each end. When the remaining space is negative or a single item exists, it behaves like center. This results in the unwanted center-aligned behavior in the given scenario.

Solution

To align the items left on wrap, justify-content: space-between is the answer. This variation ensures even distribution, but in case of negative free space or a single item in the line, it behaves like flex-start, which left-aligns the items.

Sample Code

Replacing justify-content: space-around with justify-content: space-between addresses the alignment issue. Additionally, left and right padding can be added to the container to mimic the spacing effect of space-around.

Further Considerations

A potential challenge that may emerge is when two items wrap and align on opposite ends of the container. However, resolving this is a separate matter altogether.