Divs next to each other with nested divs on top of each other?

Question

I'm trying to create the following layout:

(Note: This screenshot uses a table with 1 row and 2 data cells with nested divs -- I'm trying to remove the table, essentially)

My HTML is as follows:

<!-- outter most div containing everything -->
<div>

<!-- left div -->
<div style="max-width:50%; float:left;">
    <div class="bulletin margin-top">
        <div class="title  ">
            <span>BULLETIN BOARD</span>
        </div>
        <div class="content">
            @Html.Partial("~/Views/BulletinBoard.cshtml")
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

<!-- rightdiv -->
<div style="max-width:50%; float:left">

    <!-- top right -->
    <div class="inner announcements margin-top">
        <div class="title inner">
            <span>ANNOUNCEMENTS</span>
        </div>
        <div class="inner content fullwidth announcementcontent">
            @Html.Action("GetAnnouncement", "Announcement")
        </div>
    </div>

    <!-- bottom right -->
    <div class="inner facilitynews">
        <div class="title inner">
            OUR FACILITY NEWS
        </div>
        <div class="inner content">
            @Html.Action("GetFacilityNews", "FacilityMessage")
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
</div>

Here's a JS Fiddle which includes all my CSS:

https://jsfiddle.net/2caL1ost/

For the most part, none of the CSS does anything especially important; just sets padding, margins, colors etc.

When I run it, this is what I get:

The left half, the Bulletin Board, is displaying as desired. It's the right side that is not behaving as desired.

If I remove the inner class ( postion: absolute; ) then the white box "behind" the biege one on the right disappears, so I think they're simply overlapping each other?

How do you create nested divs next to each other and on top of each other in such a way that the content of one div won't shrink the other div?

Answer 1

I think you simply need to remove a lot of useless CSS (float, width, height, etc) from your code and you have your layout:

 .bulletin { margin: 0px; margin-right: 1.2%; } .bulletin .title { color: #fff; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: none; background-color: #89b907; font-weight: 200; } .bulletin .title span { margin-left: 10px } .bulletin .content { padding: 10px 0; display: inline-block; background: #fff; line-height: 28px; max-height: 250px; overflow-x: auto; } .bulletin .content p, .bulletin .content>b { padding: 10px; } .bulletin hr { border-top: 1px dashed #8c8b8b; } .announcements .title { color: #fff; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: none; margin-left: 0px; background-color: #099db4; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; } .announcements .title span { margin-left: 10px } .announcements .content { padding: 10px; background: #fff; line-height: 28px; padding-right: 0px; max-height: 250px; overflow-x: auto } .facilitynews { margin: 20px 0px } .facilitynews .title { color: #fff; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: none; margin-left: 0; background-color: #e24242; padding: 8px; } .facilitynews .content { padding: 8px; background: #fff7da; } 

 <!-- outter most div containing everything --> <div> <!-- left div --> <div style="width:50%; float:left;"> <div class="bulletin margin-top"> <div class="title "> <span>BULLETIN BOARD</span> </div> <div class="content"> beep boop </div> </div> </div> <!-- rightdiv --> <div style="width:50%; float:left"> <!-- top right --> <div class="inner announcements margin-top"> <div class="title inner"> <span>ANNOUNCEMENTS</span> </div> <div class="inner content fullwidth announcementcontent"> announcement content </div> </div> <!-- bottom right --> <div class="inner facilitynews"> <div class="title inner"> OUR FACILITY NEWS </div> <div class="inner content"> fac news content </div> </div> </div> </div> 

Answer 2

Shortened solution with flexbox

Container: display: flex

HTML structure

<div class="container">
  <!-- Left side -->
  <div>
    <div class="box">
      <h4 class="title"></h4>
      <p>Text</p>
    </div>
  </div>
  <!-- Right side -->
  <div>
    <div class="box">
      <h4 class="title"></h4>
      <p>Text</p>
    </div>
    <div class="box">
      <h4 class="title"></h4>
      <p>Text</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

In total

 body { margin: 0; } .container { display: flex; } .container>div { flex: 0.5; } .box { padding: 10px; } .title { color: white; margin: 5px 0; padding: 5px; } .title.bulletin { background: lightgreen; } .title.news { background: red; } .title.announcements { background: lightblue; } @media screen and (max-width: 767px) { .container { flex-direction: column; } } 

 <div class="container"> <div> <div class="box"> <h4 class="title bulletin">Title</h4> <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Iure dolorem obcaecati impedit odio in velit adipisci molestias fugit, voluptatum consequatur exercitationem, veniam optio, quos dolor, corporis quo. Quidem, modi, eum?</p> </div> </div> <div> <div class="box"> <h4 class="title news">Title</h4> <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Veritatis dolorum quos facilis quisquam, at voluptatum provident, doloremque iure perspiciatis voluptates voluptas nihil reprehenderit minus tempore mollitia beatae odit! Soluta, numquam.</p> </div> <div class="box"> <h4 class="title announcements">Title</h4> <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Rem quo provident voluptatum, qui modi magnam, vero atque, laudantium, libero autem quae voluptate possimus inventore! Explicabo officia fuga, ex architecto et!</p> </div> </div> </div>