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CSS How to Make a Website Responsive Web Design and Testing Website Testing

When should I use min-width and when width, when it comes to setting width of elements?

I am currently on "How to make a website" course and I have noticed that min-width CSS property seems to be more preferred than only width property when setting width of elements.

It is said that it is to avoid an element to end up having lower width then specified min-width. However, I don't see the point to use min-width with fixed values, only relative values. Aren't min-width:50px and width:50px gonna give pretty much same result?

Anyway, can you provide some set of rules that will help me define when should I use min-width and when width, when it comes to setting width of elements?

1 Answer

Michael Caveney
Michael Caveney
50,144 Points

The first thing that pops into my head is that min-width is very useful when you're utilizing responsize design (which you should be!), and you absolutely, positively don't want certain elements wrapping or shrinking too much.