CSS Calc alternative

Css Problem Overview

I am trying to dynamicly change the width of a div using CSS and no jquery. The following code will work in the following browsers: http://caniuse.com/calc

/* Firefox */
width: -moz-calc(100% - 500px);
/* WebKit */
width: -webkit-calc(100% - 500px);
/* Opera */
width: -o-calc(100% - 500px);
/* Standard */
width: calc(100% - 500px);

I want also support IE 5.5 and higher, i found the following: expression. Is this the correct usage:

/* IE-OLD */
width: expression(100% - 500px);

Can I also support Opera and the Android browser?

Css Solutions

Solution 1 - Css

Almost always box-sizing: border-box can replace a calc rule such as calc(100% - 500px) used for layout.

For example:

If I have the following markup:

<div class="sideBar">sideBar</div>
<div class="content">content</div>

Instead of doing this: (Assuming that the sidebar is 300px wide)

.content {
  width: calc(100% - 300px);
}

Do this:

.sideBar {
     position: absolute; 
     top:0;
     left:0;
     width: 300px;
}
.content {
    padding-left: 300px;
    width: 100%;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}

* {
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}
html,
body,
div {
  height: 100%;
}
.sideBar {
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  width: 300px;
  background: orange;
}
.content {
  padding-left: 300px;
  width: 100%;
  -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
  box-sizing: border-box;
  background: wheat;
}

<div class="sideBar">sideBar</div>
<div class="content">content</div>

PS: I won't work in IE 5.5 (hahahaha) , but it will work in IE8+ , all mobile, and all modern browsers (caniuse)

Width Demo

Height Demo

I just found this post from Paul Irish's blog where he also shows off box-sizing as a possible alternative for simple calc() expressions: (bold is mine)

> One of my favorite use-cases that border-box solves well is columns. I > might want to divide up my grid with 50% or 20% columns, but want to > add padding via px or em. Without CSS’s upcoming calc() this is > impossible… unless you use border-box.

NB: The above technique does indeed look the same as would a corresponding calc() statement. There is a difference though. When using a calc() rule the value of the width of the content div will actually be 100% - width of fixed div, however with the above technique, the actual width of the content div is the full 100% width, yet it has the appearance of 'filling up' the remaining width. (which is probably good enough for want most people need here)

That said, if it is important that the content div's width is actually 100% - fixed div width then a different technique - which makes use of block formatting contexts - may be used (see here and here for the gory details):

float the fixed width div
set overflow:hidden or overflow:auto on the content div

Demo

Solution 2 - Css

Just have a fallback before the calc will do the trick.

width: 98%;               /* fallback for browsers without support for calc() */
width: calc(100% - 1em);

See more here https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/calc

Solution 3 - Css

use this

    .content
{
    width: 100%;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    padding-right: 500px;
    margin-right: -500px;
}

Solution 4 - Css

Just spent the best part of 3 hours trying to workaround this for a specific case on andriod devices, couldnt get box sizing to work so i've linked it into my JS as a dirty workaround... no jQuery required though! :)

Taken on working code on andriod 2.3.

<div class="sessionDiv" style="width:auto;">
<img> <!-- image to resize -->
</div>
<div class="sessionDiv" style="width:auto;">
<img> <!-- image to resize -->
</div>

JS with event listeners

var orient =
{
    orientation:window.orientation,
    width: window.innerWidth,
    check: function()
    {
    	// if orientation does not match stored value, update
        if(window.orientation !== this.orientation)  
        {
            this.orientation = window.orientation; //set new orientation
            this.width = window.innerWidth; //set new width
            this.adjustIrritatingCSS(this.width); //change ui to current value
        }
        //if width does not match stored value, update
        if(window.innerWidth !== this.width)
        {
            this.width = window.innerWidth; //set new width
            this.adjustIrritatingCSS(this.width); //change ui to current value
        }
    },
    adjustIrritatingCSS: function(screenWidth)
    {   
    //disgusting workaround function
        var titleBoxes = document.getElementsByClassName('sessionDiv'); 
        var i = titleBoxes.length;
        var sessWidth = screenWidth - 300; // calc(100% - 300px); -> equivalent
        while(i--)
    	{
            titleBoxes[i].style.width = String( sessWidth + "px"); 
            //resize image in auto sized div
        }
        sessWidth = null; //clear width
        titleBoxes = null; //clear nodelist
        i = null; // clear index int
    }
};

window.onload = function()
{
    window.addEventListener('resize', function(){orient.check();}); 
    //on resize, check our values for updates and if theres changes run functions
    window.addEventListener('orientationchange', function(){orient.check();});
    //on rotate, check our values for updates and if theres changes run functions
    setInterval(function(){orient.check();}, 2000);
    //occasionally check our values for updates and if theres changes run functions(just incase!!)
    orient.adjustIrritatingCSS(orient.width); 
    //sets value on first run
};

Hope this helps anyone who cant get the box-sizing working! PS I have experienced problems with ios using this...

Solution 5 - Css

Change #menuLog width with % or px and you will see magic. Works with every device even < 2.3

*{
	-moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}
#menuLog{
  width:30%;
  /*width:300px;*/
	height: 60px;
	padding: 5px;
	background-color: #ddd;
}
#menuLog > div[inline-log="1"]{
	display: inline-block;
	vertical-align: top;
	width: 100%;
	height: 100%;
	margin-right: -60px;
}
#menuLog > div[inline-log="1"] > div[inline-log="1.1"]{
	margin-right: 60px;
	height: 100%;
	background-color: red;
}
#menuLog > div[inline-log="2"]{
	display: inline-block;
	vertical-align: top;
	width: 60px;
	height: 100%;
}
#menuLog > div[inline-log="2"] > div[inline-log="2.1"]{
	display: inline-block;
	vertical-align: top;
	width: 55px;
	height: 100%;
	background-color: yellow;
	margin-left:5px;
}

<div id="menuLog">
  <div inline-log="1">
    <div inline-log="1.1">
      One
    </div>
  </div><div inline-log="2">
     <div inline-log="2.1">
      Two
     </div>
  </div>
</div>

Solution 6 - Css

I wanted to add the no-calc, no-border-box (i.e., CSS2) alternative.

Normal-flow block elements initially have width: auto, which is effectively the width of the containing block minus the margin, border, and padding widths.

The example above can be done, without border-box, simply as

.content {
    padding-left: 300px;
}

Similarly, with

.content {
  margin-left: 1px;
  border-left: 1em solid;
  padding-left: 1rem;
}

the effective width is 100% - 1px - 1em - 1rem.

For absolutely positioned elements, height: auto has similar properties:

.content {
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  margin-bottom: 1px;
  border-bottom: 1em solid;
  padding-bottom: 1rem;
}

Here the effective height is 100% - 1px - 1em - 1rem.

Content Type	Original Author	Original Content on Stackoverflow
Question	H3AP	View Question on Stackoverflow
Solution 1 - Css	Danield	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 2 - Css	Tommy Bjerregaard	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 3 - Css	Mohamed Malik	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 4 - Css	bhiqa	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 5 - Css	Mareks Dunkurs	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 6 - Css	sam	View Answer on Stackoverflow