Give a div 100%height of the div it is inside of when container has no fixed height

[stevenmw]

Let's say i have a div that is 100% wide, but has no fixed height.

Then inside of this div you have two columns with no fixed height, but the left columns is always going to be taller based on content.

What is the best way (if at all possible) to tell the shorter right column to take up 100% of the containers height.

Is this even possible. How can you get 100% of nothing?

Appreciate any help, thanks.

[Sammy12]

You can't unless you used absolute positioning, faux columns, or JavaScript to detect the height of the parent.

Absolute Positioning:

#container {
    position: relative;
    width: 600px;
}
#short-column {
    position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0;
    width: 300px;
    height: 100%;
}
#long-column {
    margin-left: 300px;
}

Faux Columns:

#container {
    width: 900px;
    background: #ddd; /* this background will show up for the short-column */
}
#short-column {
    float: left;
    width: 300px;
}
#long-column {
    overflow: hidden;
    background: #fff; /* this background is just masking the parent's background */
}

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/fauxcolumns/

Almost everyone uses faux columns especially Google.

----------------------------

All the solutions: http://css-tricks.com/fluid-width-equal-height-columns/
You can also make the background for your "short-column" a border: http://woorkup.com/2009/10/11/really...eight-columns/ (pretty stupid though)

[jamaks]

Hi, my personal way of doing what you require is

#container{width:100%;overflow:hidden;}
#longcolumn{float:left;width:49.5%;overflow:auto;}
#shortcolumn{float:right;width:49.5%;overflow:auto;padding-bottom:20em;margin-bottom:-20em;}

The 20em figure is variable and only has to be enough to cover the difference between the long and short column content difference. The figure used must be the same with padding having a plus value and the margin having a negative value.
If the situation arises where you do not which column would be the shorter then you would give both columns the plus padding - minus margin instruction. Jim