absolute positioning and dynamic height - html

Question

I want to create a page like this:
and here is my HTML:
<div class="container">
<div class="article">
<div class="main-content">
Main content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-meta">
<div class="content-title">
the title of content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-info">
some information about content....
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
and CSS:
.container {
overflow:hidden;
position:relative;
width: 100%;
height: 350px;
}
.container .article {
width:100%;
position:absolute;
left:0;
top:0;
background-color: red;
}
.container .article .main-content {
width:50%;
float: right;
}
.container .article .content-meta {
width:50%;
float: right;
position: relative;
height: 350px;
}
.container .content-title , .container .content-info {
width: 100%;
position: absolute;
left: 0;
height: 50%;
}
.container .content-title {
background-color: green;
top: 0;
}
.container .content-info {
background-color: blue;
top: 50%;
}
it's working but when I use % instead of px for height of green and blue area, it just doesn't work. Why?
I mean, I set for both green and blue area height:50% but it didn't work. How can I solve this problem?
Note: I have 6 div.article elements and I want all of them to be stacked on top of each other and that's why I'm using position property.

Answer 1

In order to have percentage height to work you need to set both the parent elements .container .article .content-meta and .container .article to height:100%.
.container {
overflow: hidden;
position: relative;
width: 100%;
height: 350px;
}
.container .article {
width: 100%;
position: absolute;
left: 0;
top: 0;
background-color: red;
height: 100%;
}
.container .article .main-content {
width: 50%;
float: right;
}
.container .article .content-meta {
width: 50%;
float: right;
position: relative;
height: 100%;
}
.container .content-title,
.container .content-info {
width: 100%;
position: absolute;
left: 0;
height: 50%;
}
.container .content-title {
background-color: green;
top: 0;
}
.container .content-info {
background-color: blue;
top: 50%;
}
<div class="container">
<div class="article">
<div class="main-content">
Main content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-meta">
<div class="content-title">
the title of content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-info">
some information about content....
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
In fact, when you use absolute position, float won't be necessary.
.article {
position: relative;
height: 350px;
}
.main-content {
position: absolute;
left: 50%;
top: 0;
width: 50%;
height: 100%;
background: red;
}
.content-meta {
position: absolute;
left: 0;
top: 0;
width: 50%;
height: 100%;
}
.content-title,
.content-info {
position: absolute;
left: 0;
width: 100%;
height: 50%;
}
.content-title {
background: green;
top: 0;
}
.content-info {
background: blue;
top: 50%;
}
<div class="article">
<div class="main-content">
Main content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-meta">
<div class="content-title">
the title of content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-info">
some information about content....
</div>
</div>
</div>
Or, just use float without absolute position.
.article {
height: 350px;
}
.main-content {
float: right;
width: 50%;
height: 100%;
background: red;
}
.content-meta {
float: left;
width: 50%;
height: 100%;
}
.content-title,
.content-info {
float: left;
width: 100%;
height: 50%;
}
.content-title {
background: green;
}
.content-info {
background: blue;
}
<div class="article">
<div class="main-content">
Main content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-meta">
<div class="content-title">
the title of content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-info">
some information about content....
</div>
</div>
</div>
Alternatively, you can use flexbox if you don't need to support old browsers.
.article {
height: 350px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row-reverse;
}
.main-content {
background: red;
flex: 1;
}
.content-meta {
flex: 1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
}
.content-title,
.content-info {
flex: 1;
}
.content-title {
background: green;
}
.content-info {
background: blue;
}
<div class="article">
<div class="main-content">
Main content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-meta">
<div class="content-title">
the title of content goes here...
</div>
<div class="content-info">
some information about content....
</div>
</div>
</div>