# Inline-block element use cases

**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/inline-block-element-use-cases/648668
**Category:** web dev
**Created:** [August 23, 2021, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/inline-block-element-use-cases/648668 "2021-08-23T21:18:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 4

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### Author: ![kirupa](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/kirupa/32/11616_2.png) [@kirupa](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/kirupa)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2021, 4:53am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/inline-block-element-use-cases/648668/4 "2021-08-26T04:53:51Z")

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> [@sephorus](#):
>
> What do they mean by block-direction? Elements that have display: block; are ordered from top to bottom, so does this just mean the margin-top and margin-bottom of inline elements are ignored?

That is correct about the block-direction. In languages like English where characters flow horizontally, the `margin-top` and `margin-bottom` on inline elements are ignored. The `margin-left` and `margin-right` properties will work.

> [@sephorus](#):
>
> For the second statement, does the padding of the inline element get calculated when determining the height of the element, but ignored by the parent

No, the height of the element doesn’t contain the padding values. Visually we can see it, but the actual height calculation (like via `getComputedStyle`) will just return **auto**.

Great questions!

🙂

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