Block-level elements and inline elements are the two primary categories of elements in HTML. Based on how they interact with other components and impact the document's structure, block and inline elements can be distinguished from one another.
Block-Level Elements:
Block-level elements typically start on a new line and take up the full width available, extending the entire width of their container. They create "blocks" of content.
Examples of block-level elements include:
- <div>: In an HTML document, this defines a division or section.
- <p>: Indicates a text paragraph.
- <h1>, <h2>,..., <h6>: Level-specific headings.
- For both sorted and unordered lists, use <ul>, <ol>, and <li>.
- Table creation elements are <table>, <tr>, and <td>.
Example:
<div>
<h1>This is a heading</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph.</p>
<ul>
<li>Item 1</li>
<li>Item 2</li>
</ul>
</div>
Inline Elements:
Inline elements, on the other hand, do not start on a new line and only take up as much width as necessary. They flow within the content and do not create new blocks.
Examples of inline elements include:
- <span> : Defines a span of text.
- <a> : Creates hyperlinks.
- <strong> and <em> : Used for strong and emphasized text, respectively.
- <img> : Embeds images into the document.
Example:
<p>This is <strong>strong</strong> and <em>emphasized</em> text.
Visit <a href="https://example.com">Example</a>.</p>
Differentiating Block and Inline Elements:
The distinction between block and inline elements is crucial for understanding HTML document structure and layout. Block-level elements create structural divisions in a document, while inline elements enhance the content within those divisions.
Nevertheless, it's important to remember that HTML5 offers a more adaptable method with the addition of certain components, referred to as "block-level elements" and "inline-level elements," that may function as both blocks and inlines. Examples of elements that can be styled to behave as either block or inline based on CSS properties are <a>, <img>, <span>, and others.