<div> element vs <span> element

The <div> and <span> elements are both used to group and style content in HTML, but they serve different purposes based on their display behavior and use cases.

1. <div> Element

• Type: Block-level element

• Purpose: Used to group larger sections of content or layout elements.

• Behavior:

  • Occupies the full width of the parent container.

  • Always starts on a new line and pushes the following content to a new line.

• Common Use:

  • Structuring large sections like headers, footers, sidebars, and main content areas.

  • Useful when creating layouts.

<div style="background-color: lightblue; padding: 10px;">
    This is a block-level element inside a div.
</div>
  <p>This is another block-level element.</p>

In this example, the <div> takes up the full width of the page (or its container), and the <p> starts below it.

2. <span> Element

• Type: Inline element

• Purpose: Used to style or group small pieces of content within a larger block of text.

• Behavior:

  • Only takes up as much width as its content.

  • Does not start a new line, and it flows inline with the surrounding text.

• Common Use:

  • Styling individual words, phrases, or small pieces of content inside a paragraph.

  • Applying CSS to inline text without affecting the surrounding structure.

<p>This is a <span style="color: red;">highlighted</span> word in a paragraph.</p>

In this example, the <span> only affects the word "highlighted" and does not break the flow of the paragraph.