Centering floated elements with custom width [duplicate] - css

Question

This question already has answers here:
How to remove the space between inline/inline-block elements?
(41 answers)
Closed 6 years ago.
Today I am facing a big problem with centering floated elements that have set custom width. For better explanation I made a snippet for you:
body { text-align: center; }
.square {
width: 20%; height: 100px;
background: cornflowerblue;
float: left;
}
.container {
display: inline-block;
}
<div>
<div class="container">
<div class="square">a</div>
<div class="square">b</div>
<div class="square">c</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<div>
<div class="container">
<div class="square">a</div>
<div class="square">b</div>
<div class="square">c</div>
<div class="square">d</div>
<div class="square">e</div>
</div>
</div>
The problem is that first three squares get shrinked after centering.
The reason why I am floating the elements is that the second container has to be same as first container and it must contain 5 elements (to cover full width of document). Here is how it looks like without floating (see the gabs between elements):
body { text-align: center; }
.square {
width: 20%; height: 100px;
background: cornflowerblue;
display: inline-block;
}
.container {
display: block;
}
<div>
<div class="container">
<div class="square">a</div>
<div class="square">b</div>
<div class="square">c</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<div>
<div class="container">
<div class="square">a</div>
<div class="square">b</div>
<div class="square">c</div>
<div class="square">d</div>
<div class="square">e</div>
</div>
</div>
Now the elements have right width, but the second line doesn't cover width of document because of the gabs between elements.
Is there any way to have floated elements with custom width centered? Which styles I should use for container element?

Answer 1

OK, I think I got what you need
.square {
width: 20%; height: 100px;
background: cornflowerblue;
display: inline-block;
font-size: 1rem;
}
.container {
display: block;
font-size:0;
}
jsfiddle

Answer 2

body { text-align: center; }
.square {
width: 20%; height: 100px;
background: cornflowerblue;
float: left;
}
.container {
width:100%;
margin-right:20%;
margin-left:20%;
}
Are you looking for something like this?

Answer 3

Add min-width:7px; this will solve your issue
body { text-align: center; }
.square {
width: 20%;
height: 100px;
background: cornflowerblue;
float: left;
min-width:7px;
}
.container {
display: inline-block;
}
<div>
<div class="container">
<div class="square">a</div>
<div class="square">b</div>
<div class="square">c</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<div>
<div class="container">
<div class="square">a</div>
<div class="square">b</div>
<div class="square">c</div>
<div class="square">d</div>
<div class="square">e</div>
</div>
</div>
Here your 5 div row era is also working.