# Why layout is float based, not flexbox based?

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-layout-is-float-based-not-flexbox-based/70704>\
**Category:** UX\
**Created:** [September 25, 2017, 7:12am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-layout-is-float-based-not-flexbox-based/70704 "2017-09-25T07:12:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![iamntz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/iamntz/32/114670_2.png) [@iamntz](https://meta.discourse.org/u/iamntz)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 7:12am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-layout-is-float-based-not-flexbox-based/70704/1 "2017-09-25T07:12:39Z")

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I’ve noticed that most layout is based on floats (e.g. header, nav pill etc) and all spacing is aligned via margins.

Considering that flexbox support is roughly the same as Discourse (i.e. IE10+), I wonder what are the reasons behind the decision to use one ove the other.

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**Author:** ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 7:16am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-layout-is-float-based-not-flexbox-based/70704/2 "2017-09-25T07:16:30Z")

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The reason is historical. We originally shipped with ghetto IE8 support.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![iamntz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/iamntz/32/114670_2.png) [@iamntz](https://meta.discourse.org/u/iamntz)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 7:17am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-layout-is-float-based-not-flexbox-based/70704/3 "2017-09-25T07:17:14Z")

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Ohhhhh, I see. Any plan of refactoring to flex?

Or that’s set in stone? 😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 7:18am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-layout-is-float-based-not-flexbox-based/70704/4 "2017-09-25T07:18:17Z")

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Nothing is set in stone, recently we redid the composer in flex we may get to the rest of the app at some point in time.

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**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 2:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-layout-is-float-based-not-flexbox-based/70704/5 "2017-09-26T02:49:21Z")

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Not sure this is correct, I don’t think we ever shipped with IE8 support, but IE9.