react-native/website/versioned_docs/0.49/flexbox.md

---
id: version-0.49-flexbox
title: flexbox
original_id: flexbox
---
<a id="content"></a><h1><a class="anchor" name="layout-with-flexbox"></a>Layout with Flexbox <a class="hash-link" href="docs/flexbox.html#layout-with-flexbox">#</a></h1><div><p>A component can specify the layout of its children using the flexbox algorithm. Flexbox is designed to provide a consistent layout on different screen sizes.</p><p>You will normally use a combination of <code>flexDirection</code>, <code>alignItems</code>, and <code>justifyContent</code> to achieve the right layout.</p><blockquote><p>Flexbox works the same way in React Native as it does in CSS on the web, with a few exceptions. The defaults are different, with <code>flexDirection</code> defaulting to <code>column</code> instead of <code>row</code>, and the <code>flex</code> parameter only supporting a single number.</p></blockquote><h4><a class="anchor" name="flex-direction"></a>Flex Direction <a class="hash-link" href="docs/flexbox.html#flex-direction">#</a></h4><p>Adding <code>flexDirection</code> to a component's <code>style</code> determines the <strong>primary axis</strong> of its layout. Should the children be organized horizontally (<code>row</code>) or vertically (<code>column</code>)? The default is <code>column</code>.</p><div class="web-player"><div class="prism language-javascript"><span class="token keyword">import</span> React<span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span> Component <span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token keyword">from</span> <span class="token string">'react'</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>
<span class="token keyword">import</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span> AppRegistry<span class="token punctuation">,</span> View <span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token keyword">from</span> <span class="token string">'react-native'</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>

<span class="token keyword">export</span> <span class="token keyword">default</span> <span class="token keyword">class</span> <span class="token class-name">FlexDirectionBasics</span> <span class="token keyword">extends</span> <span class="token class-name">Component</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span>
  <span class="token function">render</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span>
    <span class="token keyword">return</span> <span class="token punctuation">(</span>
     <span class="token comment" spellcheck="true"> // Try setting `flexDirection` to `column`.
</span>      <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>flex<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">1</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> flexDirection<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'row'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
        <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>width<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> height<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> backgroundColor<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'powderblue'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token operator">/</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
        <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>width<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> height<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> backgroundColor<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'skyblue'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token operator">/</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
        <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>width<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> height<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> backgroundColor<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'steelblue'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token operator">/</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
      <span class="token operator">&lt;</span><span class="token operator">/</span>View<span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
    <span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>
  <span class="token punctuation">}</span>
<span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>
<span class="token comment" spellcheck="true">
// skip this line if using Create React Native App
</span>AppRegistry<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">registerComponent</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token string">'AwesomeProject'</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span> <span class="token operator">=&gt;</span> FlexDirectionBasics<span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span></div><iframe style="margin-top:4px;" width="880" height="420" data-src="//cdn.rawgit.com/dabbott/react-native-web-player/gh-v1.2.6/index.html#code=import%20React%2C%20%7B%20Component%20%7D%20from%20'react'%3B%0Aimport%20%7B%20AppRegistry%2C%20View%20%7D%20from%20'react-native'%3B%0A%0Aexport%20default%20class%20FlexDirectionBasics%20extends%20Component%20%7B%0A%20%20render()%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20return%20(%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%2F%2F%20Try%20setting%20%60flexDirection%60%20to%20%60column%60.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bflex%3A%201%2C%20flexDirection%3A%20'row'%7D%7D%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bwidth%3A%2050%2C%20height%3A%2050%2C%20backgroundColor%3A%20'powderblue'%7D%7D%20%2F%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bwidth%3A%2050%2C%20height%3A%2050%2C%20backgroundColor%3A%20'skyblue'%7D%7D%20%2F%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bwidth%3A%2050%2C%20height%3A%2050%2C%20backgroundColor%3A%20'steelblue'%7D%7D%20%2F%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3C%2FView%3E%0A%20%20%20%20)%3B%0A%20%20%7D%0A%7D%3B%0A%0A%2F%2F%20skip%20this%20line%20if%20using%20Create%20React%20Native%20App%0AAppRegistry.registerComponent('AwesomeProject'%2C%20()%20%3D%3E%20FlexDirectionBasics)%3B" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><h4><a class="anchor" name="justify-content"></a>Justify Content <a class="hash-link" href="docs/flexbox.html#justify-content">#</a></h4><p>Adding <code>justifyContent</code> to a component's style determines the <strong>distribution</strong> of children along the <strong>primary axis</strong>. Should children be distributed at the start, the center, the end, or spaced evenly? Available options are <code>flex-start</code>, <code>center</code>, <code>flex-end</code>, <code>space-around</code>, and <code>space-between</code>.</p><div class="web-player"><div class="prism language-javascript"><span class="token keyword">import</span> React<span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span> Component <span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token keyword">from</span> <span class="token string">'react'</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>
<span class="token keyword">import</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span> AppRegistry<span class="token punctuation">,</span> View <span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token keyword">from</span> <span class="token string">'react-native'</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>

<span class="token keyword">export</span> <span class="token keyword">default</span> <span class="token keyword">class</span> <span class="token class-name">JustifyContentBasics</span> <span class="token keyword">extends</span> <span class="token class-name">Component</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span>
  <span class="token function">render</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span>
    <span class="token keyword">return</span> <span class="token punctuation">(</span>
     <span class="token comment" spellcheck="true"> // Try setting `justifyContent` to `center`.
</span>     <span class="token comment" spellcheck="true"> // Try setting `flexDirection` to `row`.
</span>      <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>
        flex<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">1</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span>
        flexDirection<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'column'</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span>
        justifyContent<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'space-between'</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span>
      <span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
        <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>width<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> height<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> backgroundColor<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'powderblue'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token operator">/</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
        <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>width<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> height<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> backgroundColor<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'skyblue'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token operator">/</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
        <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>width<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> height<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> backgroundColor<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'steelblue'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token operator">/</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
      <span class="token operator">&lt;</span><span class="token operator">/</span>View<span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
    <span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>
  <span class="token punctuation">}</span>
<span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>
<span class="token comment" spellcheck="true">
// skip this line if using Create React Native App
</span>AppRegistry<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">registerComponent</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token string">'AwesomeProject'</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span> <span class="token operator">=&gt;</span> JustifyContentBasics<span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span></div><iframe style="margin-top:4px;" width="880" height="420" data-src="//cdn.rawgit.com/dabbott/react-native-web-player/gh-v1.2.6/index.html#code=import%20React%2C%20%7B%20Component%20%7D%20from%20'react'%3B%0Aimport%20%7B%20AppRegistry%2C%20View%20%7D%20from%20'react-native'%3B%0A%0Aexport%20default%20class%20JustifyContentBasics%20extends%20Component%20%7B%0A%20%20render()%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20return%20(%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%2F%2F%20Try%20setting%20%60justifyContent%60%20to%20%60center%60.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%2F%2F%20Try%20setting%20%60flexDirection%60%20to%20%60row%60.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20flex%3A%201%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20flexDirection%3A%20'column'%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20justifyContent%3A%20'space-between'%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%7D%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bwidth%3A%2050%2C%20height%3A%2050%2C%20backgroundColor%3A%20'powderblue'%7D%7D%20%2F%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bwidth%3A%2050%2C%20height%3A%2050%2C%20backgroundColor%3A%20'skyblue'%7D%7D%20%2F%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bwidth%3A%2050%2C%20height%3A%2050%2C%20backgroundColor%3A%20'steelblue'%7D%7D%20%2F%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3C%2FView%3E%0A%20%20%20%20)%3B%0A%20%20%7D%0A%7D%3B%0A%0A%2F%2F%20skip%20this%20line%20if%20using%20Create%20React%20Native%20App%0AAppRegistry.registerComponent('AwesomeProject'%2C%20()%20%3D%3E%20JustifyContentBasics)%3B" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><h4><a class="anchor" name="align-items"></a>Align Items <a class="hash-link" href="docs/flexbox.html#align-items">#</a></h4><p>Adding <code>alignItems</code> to a component's style determines the <strong>alignment</strong> of children along the <strong>secondary axis</strong> (if the primary axis is <code>row</code>, then the secondary is <code>column</code>, and vice versa). Should children be aligned at the start, the center, the end, or stretched to fill? Available options are <code>flex-start</code>, <code>center</code>, <code>flex-end</code>, and <code>stretch</code>.</p><blockquote><p>For <code>stretch</code> to have an effect, children must not have a fixed dimension along the secondary axis. In the following example, setting <code>alignItems: stretch</code> does nothing until the <code>width: 50</code> is removed from the children.</p></blockquote><div class="web-player"><div class="prism language-javascript"><span class="token keyword">import</span> React<span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span> Component <span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token keyword">from</span> <span class="token string">'react'</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>
<span class="token keyword">import</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span> AppRegistry<span class="token punctuation">,</span> View <span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token keyword">from</span> <span class="token string">'react-native'</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>

<span class="token keyword">export</span> <span class="token keyword">default</span> <span class="token keyword">class</span> <span class="token class-name">AlignItemsBasics</span> <span class="token keyword">extends</span> <span class="token class-name">Component</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span>
  <span class="token function">render</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span>
    <span class="token keyword">return</span> <span class="token punctuation">(</span>
     <span class="token comment" spellcheck="true"> // Try setting `alignItems` to 'flex-start'
</span>     <span class="token comment" spellcheck="true"> // Try setting `justifyContent` to `flex-end`.
</span>     <span class="token comment" spellcheck="true"> // Try setting `flexDirection` to `row`.
</span>      <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>
        flex<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">1</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span>
        flexDirection<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'column'</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span>
        justifyContent<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'center'</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span>
        alignItems<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'center'</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span>
      <span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
        <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>width<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> height<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> backgroundColor<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'powderblue'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token operator">/</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
        <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>width<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> height<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> backgroundColor<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'skyblue'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token operator">/</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
        <span class="token operator">&lt;</span>View style<span class="token operator">=</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span>width<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> height<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token number">50</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> backgroundColor<span class="token punctuation">:</span> <span class="token string">'steelblue'</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">}</span> <span class="token operator">/</span><span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
      <span class="token operator">&lt;</span><span class="token operator">/</span>View<span class="token operator">&gt;</span>
    <span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>
  <span class="token punctuation">}</span>
<span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span>
<span class="token comment" spellcheck="true">
// skip this line if using Create React Native App
</span>AppRegistry<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">registerComponent</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token string">'AwesomeProject'</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span> <span class="token operator">=&gt;</span> AlignItemsBasics<span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span></div><iframe style="margin-top:4px;" width="880" height="420" data-src="//cdn.rawgit.com/dabbott/react-native-web-player/gh-v1.2.6/index.html#code=import%20React%2C%20%7B%20Component%20%7D%20from%20'react'%3B%0Aimport%20%7B%20AppRegistry%2C%20View%20%7D%20from%20'react-native'%3B%0A%0Aexport%20default%20class%20AlignItemsBasics%20extends%20Component%20%7B%0A%20%20render()%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20return%20(%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%2F%2F%20Try%20setting%20%60alignItems%60%20to%20'flex-start'%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%2F%2F%20Try%20setting%20%60justifyContent%60%20to%20%60flex-end%60.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%2F%2F%20Try%20setting%20%60flexDirection%60%20to%20%60row%60.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20flex%3A%201%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20flexDirection%3A%20'column'%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20justifyContent%3A%20'center'%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20alignItems%3A%20'center'%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%7D%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bwidth%3A%2050%2C%20height%3A%2050%2C%20backgroundColor%3A%20'powderblue'%7D%7D%20%2F%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bwidth%3A%2050%2C%20height%3A%2050%2C%20backgroundColor%3A%20'skyblue'%7D%7D%20%2F%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3CView%20style%3D%7B%7Bwidth%3A%2050%2C%20height%3A%2050%2C%20backgroundColor%3A%20'steelblue'%7D%7D%20%2F%3E%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3C%2FView%3E%0A%20%20%20%20)%3B%0A%20%20%7D%0A%7D%3B%0A%0A%2F%2F%20skip%20this%20line%20if%20using%20Create%20React%20Native%20App%0AAppRegistry.registerComponent('AwesomeProject'%2C%20()%20%3D%3E%20AlignItemsBasics)%3B" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><h4><a class="anchor" name="going-deeper"></a>Going Deeper <a class="hash-link" href="docs/flexbox.html#going-deeper">#</a></h4><p>We've covered the basics, but there are many other styles you may need for layouts. The full list of props that control layout is documented <a href="./docs/layout-props.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>We're getting close to being able to build a real application. One thing we are still missing is a way to take user input, so let's move on to <a href="docs/handling-text-input.html" target="_blank">learn how to handle text input with the TextInput component</a>.</p></div><div class="docs-prevnext"><a class="docs-prev btn" href="docs/height-and-width.html#content">← Previous</a><a class="docs-next btn" href="docs/handling-text-input.html#content">Continue Reading →</a></div><p class="edit-page-block"><a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/facebook/react-native/blob/master/docs/LayoutWithFlexbox.md">Improve this page</a> by sending a pull request!</p>