Beyond Text Alignment: The Power of Flex vs. Text-Align

The ability to align elements horizontally is crucial for web design. However, the question arises: when is it appropriate to use "flex" and "justify-content" instead of "text-align"?

The Distinction: Box vs. Text

"Flex" and "justify-content" operate within the realm of flexbox, which governs the layout of boxes and block-level elements. "Text-align," on the other hand, affects the alignment of text and inline-level elements.

Multiple Elements: Where Differences Emerge

When dealing with a single element, both approaches achieve similar results. However, with multiple elements, a clear difference becomes evident.

Consider the following example:

.parent-flex {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: flex-end;
}
.parent-normal {
  text-align: right;
}

some text here Awesome button!

some text here Awesome button!

In this scenario, the button is successfully aligned to the right in both cases. However, if we remove the extra text:

Awesome button!

Awesome button!

We notice that in the "flex" example, the button stretches to fill the entire space, while in the "text-align" version, it remains in its original position.

Bootstrap's Migration to Flexbox

The Bootstrap framework made a conscious decision to transition from "text-align" to "flex" for aligning elements in modals' footers between versions 3 and 4. This shift was driven by the need for a reliable and flexible layout system that could handle scenarios involving multiple elements and variable content widths.

Conclusion

While "text-align" remains a valuable technique for text alignment, it is insufficient in situations where the alignment of multiple block-level elements is required. In such scenarios, the power and flexibility of Flexbox, with its "flex" and "justify-content" properties, make it the preferred choice for precise and dynamic layouts.