> As far as I can figure out the containing element is always a 'div'  
> surrounding the floated element or the 'browser window' if there is no  
> div in the hierarchy above it .
> Please do correct me if I have this wrong.

It's not always a div.  It usually is, but it can be any element.  Hence the 
more vague "containing element" terminology.  It is a block element in the 
hierarchy above it.  Or it's an inline element that's been floated (and thus 
made a block).

For instance:

<p>This is the pervious paragraph</p>

<p>
This is before the span. <span style="float:left">This is before the link in 
the source. <a style="float:left">blah</a></span>
</p>

Will show up like this on the page:

This is the pervious paragraph

Blah  This is before the link in the source. This is
before the span.


The floated span stays inside the paragraph.  (which comes after the previous 
paragraph).  And the link stays in the span tag.  But the span floats up to the 
top of the paragraph.  And the link floats to the top of the span (which in 
this case also happens to be the same place as the top of the paragraph, but 
doesn't need to be)  then the rest of the span text comes after the link.  And 
the rest of the paragraph text comes after the span.  (even though they come 
before in the source)

---Tim

 

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