Bootstrap 3 - How to maximize input width inside navbar

Question

Right now I have a navigation bar that looks like: http://bootply.com/78239

I want to maximize the width of the "search" text-input, without creating line-breaks (i.e., that the "Clear" link will be tight with the "About" link).

I only have basic experience with css and web-design. I read something about "overflow: hidden" tricks, but I don't understand how to use it when there are more elements to the right of the targeted element.

Thanks

---

EDIT:

A partial solution can be to set the width "manually" for each case, like in http://bootply.com/78247 :

@media (max-width: 767px) {
  #searchbar > .navbar-form {
    width: 100%;
  }
}

@media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 991px) {
  #searchbar > .navbar-form {
    width: 205px;
  }
}

@media (min-width: 992px) and (max-width: 1199px) {
  #searchbar > .navbar-form {
    width: 425px;
  }
}

@media (min-width: 1200px) {
  #searchbar > .navbar-form {
    width: 625px;
  }
}

but this solution will not work when the menu's texts are "dynamic" (for example, contain "Hello username").

I suppose it is not a big issue if you assume that there is a limit on the menu's texts' widths - it's just annoying to calculate/test those widths manually. I'm just curious to know if there's a neat way to do it automatically.

Answer 1

For Bootstrap version 3.2 and up you should also set the display:table; for the input-group and set the width to 1% for the input-group-addon.

<div style="display:table;" class="input-group">
            <span style="width: 1%;" class="input-group-addon"><span class="glyphicon glyphicon-search"></span></span>
            <input type="text" autofocus="autofocus" autocomplete="off" placeholder="Search Here" name="search" style="" class="form-control">
          </div>

Demo Bootstrap version 3.2+: http://www.bootply.com/t7O3HSGlbc

--

If you allow changing the position of your navbar elements? I don't understand "without creating line-breaks (i.e., that the "Clear" link will be tight with the "About" link)." Try this: http://bootply.com/78374.

What i did:

• Drop the float left of the form (by dropping the navbar-left class)
• Give other navbar elements a right float (the navbar-right class)
• Set display of the form-group to inline (style="display:inline")
• Change the position of the elements (the right floated first)

Related question:

• Expand div to max width when float:left is set

html:

<div class="navbar navbar-inverse navbar-fixed-top">
  <div class="container">
    <div class="navbar-header">
      <button type="button" class="navbar-toggle" data-toggle="collapse" data-target=".navbar-collapse">
        <span class="icon-bar"></span>
        <span class="icon-bar"></span>
        <span class="icon-bar"></span>
      </button>
      <a class="navbar-brand" href="#">My Project</a>
    </div>
    <div class="navbar-collapse collapse" id="searchbar">

      <ul class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right">
        <li><a href="about.html">About</a></li>
        <li id="userPage">
          <a href="#@userpage"><i class="icon-user"></i> My Page</a>
        </li>
        <li><a href="#logout" data-prevent="">Logout</a></li>
      </ul>
      <ul class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right">
        <li><a href="#" title="Start a new search">Clear</a></li>
      </ul>



     <form class="navbar-form">
        <div class="form-group" style="display:inline;">
          <div class="input-group">
            <span class="input-group-addon"><span class="glyphicon glyphicon-search"></span></span>
            <input class="form-control" name="search" placeholder="Search Here" autocomplete="off" autofocus="autofocus" type="text">
          </div>
        </div>
      </form>

    </div><!--/.nav-collapse -->
  </div>
</div>