How do I vertically align text inside an anchor element, which is nested within an unordered list
you may use a pseudo element displayed as an inline-box using full height of li and vertical-aligned to midlle. DEMO
body, html {
height:100%; /* needed for demo */
}
nav {
height: 50%; /* increased for demo */
width: 100%;
}
nav ul {
height: 100%;
margin: 0px;
}
nav ul li {
height: 33%;
box-shadow:inset 0 0 0 1px; /* show me li , for demo */
}
nav ul li:before {
content:'';
height:100%;
display:inline-block;
vertical-align: middle;
}
edit
If you also reset display and vertical-align on <a>, links can be spread on a few lines (demo below):
body,
html {
height: 100%;
}
nav {
height: 70%; /* height set for snippet demo purpose, could be really too much */
width: 100%;
}
nav ul {
height: 100%; /* will follow height, inherit height value , set in nav if any avalaible */
margin: 0px;
}
nav ul li {
height: 33%;
/* see me and my center*/
box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px;
background:linear-gradient(to top, rgba(0,0,0,0.1) 50%, rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 50%);
}
nav ul li:before {
content: '';
height: 100%;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: middle;
}
a {
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: middle;
}<nav>
<ul>
<li><a href="html/login.html">Login</a>
</li>
<li><a href="html/user_registration.html">Register</a>
</li>
<li><a href="#">Programmes<br/> Offered</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>If you can use flexbox, you can get away with the following css:
CSS
ul li a {
display:flex; // Enables flexbox
justify-content: center; // Center on main axis
align-items: center; // Center on cross axis
}
Update ( using auto margins )
You can also do it like this:
ul li { display:flex }
li a { margin: auto }
/* These rules are just to make things easier to see. */
nav {
margin: 0 auto;
margin-top: 5rem;
border: 1px dotted green;
width: 100%;
}
ul {
padding: 0;
display: flex;
justify-content: space-around;
}
li {
height: 3rem;
padding: 2rem;
border: 1px dotted red;
}
/* Here are what I am trying to illustrate */
ul li {
display: flex;
}
a {
margin: auto;
/* or adjust them one by one, by targeting
the ones you want and setting
using each margin like this:
margin-top: auto;
margin-right: auto;
margin-bottom: auto;
margin-left: auto;
*/
}<nav>
<ul>
<li><a href="html/login.html">Login</a></li>
<li><a href="html/user_registration.html">Register</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Programmes Offered</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>