CSS Positioning and Z-Index Shenanigans
3. Navigating the Z-Index Maze
CSS positioning (relative, absolute, fixed, sticky) and the z-index property are supposed to provide control over the stacking order of elements. However, IE's interpretation of these properties often deviated from the standards. As you know, the "IE increase bottom to top" issue often came to light when developers were trying to use these features in their website design. It was like trying to build a house with instructions written in another language.
Normally, elements with a higher z-index value should appear in front of elements with a lower z-index value. However, in IE, this wasn't always the case, particularly when dealing with nested stacking contexts created by positioned elements. The key to unlocking this issue lies in understanding where stacking contexts are created and how elements are ordered within those contexts.
For example, if a parent element has a lower z-index than a sibling element, even if the parent element's children have extremely high z-index values, they still wouldn't appear above the sibling. It's like being stuck in a small box, no matter how tall you get inside that box, you'll never be taller than the outside walls.
To effectively manage stacking contexts in IE, it was crucial to understand the rules for creating them and how elements were ordered within each context. This often involved carefully structuring your HTML, using CSS positioning judiciously, and applying z-index values strategically. Sometimes, though, the best solution was simply to avoid relying too heavily on complex stacking scenarios in IE altogether. Let's all try to forget we just discussed this and move on.