[Flexbox] align-items: baseline on empty input element causes alignment to bottom of element

• Component: CSS
• Status: NEW ---

[Michael Bailey]

In a flex container with a text child (such as a label) and an <input type=“text”> child, baseline alignment works as expected only if the input element has a value specified. If the input element has no value, the sibling text element will be aligned to the bottom of the text input widget, rather than where its text baseline would be.

Testcase: http://codepen.io/anon/pen/EaraKp

(The testcase uses the unprefixed syntax, but the issue is the same whether using r181845 with no prefixes, or the shipping Safari 8.0.4 (10600.4.10.7) with prefixes.)

[Michael Bailey]

See also http://crbug.com/401185 for the Blink issue. Firefox renders the testcase correctly.

[Michael Bailey]

Also possibly related: https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=35787

[Brad]

This is still a big problem in Safari 13. 

If there is text or a placeholder in the field, it isn't an issue. Only when the field is completely blank (you can enter text into it and the tab out to see the alignment jump). A placeholder of a non-breaking space kind of works, but it still doesn't align as well as an actual letter (baseline on a space seem to be different).

[Sam Sneddon [:gsnedders]]

<rdar://50068184>

Can confirm this is still an issue in Safari 15.2

[Mathias Gamper]

Can confirm this is still an issue in Safari 16.4 released these days.

[Gilmar Lira]

Created attachment 467648 [details]
Safari flexbox alignment bug

This is a frequent topic on our design systems team. We implemented a default placeholder text of one space character, so Safari can math correctly. Engineers bring it up often as they stumble upon our patch. Problem is real and I am not aware of other alternatives.

I'm able to reproduce the problem with a placeholder, after entering text and then removing it. Each time the content is completely removed, the alignment is at bottom. 

It's weird, it behaves like the font baseline information is lost when the last character is removed, even though the placeholder is displayed.

<div style="display: flex; align-items: baseline">
  <span>aligned baseline ? </span>
  <input value="" style="vertical-align: baseline" placeholder="should be !">
</div>