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Grid Identity
HTML declares structure, CSS assigns layout. Semantic elements auto-register to grid areas based on their type — no classes needed.
The Concept
VB's grid identity system implements the CSS Zen Garden principle: the same semantic HTML transforms through pure CSS. Write <header>, <nav>, <main>, <aside>, and <footer>, and the layout assigns them to grid areas automatically.
Three Tiers
Grid identity works at three levels, each scoped to a different container:
Tier 1: Page
data-page-layout
Body-level structure. Areas: body-header, body-nav, body-main, body-aside, body-footer
Tier 2: Main
main[data-layout]
Nested layout within content area. Areas: main-header, main-nav, main-article, main-aside, main-footer
Tier 3: Component
data-layout="regions"
Generalized structure on any element. Areas: header, content, footer
Page-Level Identity
Apply data-page-layout to the <body> element. Direct semantic children are auto-assigned to grid areas based on their element type.
Available Templates
| Template | Token | Description |
|---|---|---|
stack | --tpl-stack | Single column, mobile-first |
sidebar-left | --tpl-sidebar-left | Two-column with left navigation |
sidebar-right | --tpl-sidebar-right | Two-column with right sidebar |
holy-grail | --tpl-holy-grail | Three-column classic layout |
app-shell | --tpl-app-shell | Vertical nav bar for apps |
dashboard | --tpl-dashboard | Admin panel with sticky nav |
article | --tpl-article | Centered content for reading |
landing | --tpl-landing | Marketing page with named sections |
Grid Identity Mapping
| Element | Grid Area |
|---|---|
<header> | body-header |
<nav> | body-nav |
<main> | body-main |
<aside> | body-aside |
<footer> | body-footer |
Example
Page-level identity
<body data-page-layout="sidebar-left"> <header>Site header</header> <nav>Navigation</nav> <main>Content</main> <footer>Site footer</footer></body>Content-Aware Adaptation
Layouts automatically adapt when elements are absent. CSS :has() selectors detect what children are present and adjust the grid template accordingly.
sidebar-leftwithout<nav>→ single columnsidebar-rightwithout<aside>→ single columnholy-grailwithout<aside>→ two columnsholy-grailwithout both → single column
:has() adaptation
<!-- No nav present → layout adapts to single column automatically --><body data-page-layout="sidebar-left"> <header>Site header</header> <!-- <nav> removed → :has() adapts columns --> <main>Full-width content</main> <footer>Footer</footer></body>All page layouts collapse to stack on viewports narrower than 768px (unless data-layout-nowrap is set).
Named Area Overrides
Use data-layout-area to explicitly assign any element to a named grid area. This overrides the automatic identity assignment.
| Value | Use Case |
|---|---|
hero | Hero section on landing pages |
feature | Feature showcase section |
cta | Call-to-action section |
sidebar | Generic sidebar area |
content | Main content area |
banner | Banner or announcement |
toc | Table of contents |
Landing Page Example
The landing page template defines areas for hero, feature, and cta. Use data-layout-area to assign sections to these areas.
Named area overrides on landing page
<body data-page-layout="landing" data-layout-gap="none"> <header>...</header> <section data-layout-area="hero">Hero content</section> <section data-layout-area="feature">Features grid</section> <section data-layout-area="cta">Call to action</section> <footer>...</footer></body>data-layout-area when you need sections that do not map to standard semantic elements, or when using the landing template.
Main-Level Identity
The <main> element can have its own data-layout to create a second tier of grid identity. Children of main[data-layout] auto-register to main-* areas.
Main-Level Grid Areas
| Element | Grid Area |
|---|---|
<header> | main-header |
<nav> | main-nav |
<article> | main-article |
<section> | main-section |
<aside> | main-aside |
<footer> | main-footer |
Available Main-Level Templates
| Template | Grid | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
sidebar-left | main-nav | main-article | Documentation with sub-navigation |
sidebar-right | main-article | main-aside | Article with table of contents |
Main-level sidebar with identity
<main data-layout="sidebar-right"> <article> <!-- auto → main-article area --> <h1>Page Content</h1> <p>Article body...</p> </article> <aside> <!-- auto → main-aside area --> <nav>Table of contents</nav> </aside></main>Main-level templates also support :has() adaptation: if the nav or aside is absent, the layout falls back to a single column.
Component-Level Regions
Two new layout types extend grid identity down to individual components.
Regions
data-layout="regions" creates a header / content / footer grid on any element. Semantic children auto-place without explicit attributes.
| Element | Grid Area |
|---|---|
<header> or [slot="header"] | header |
<section> or [slot="content"] | content |
<footer> or [slot="footer"] | footer |
| Any other child | content (implicit) |
Regions layout
<article data-layout="regions" data-layout-gap="m"> <header>Card Title</header> <!-- auto → header area --> <section><p>Content...</p></section> <!-- auto → content area --> <footer>Updated 2h ago</footer> <!-- auto → footer area --></article>Grid of Region Cards
The big win: combine data-layout="grid" with data-layout="regions" articles for card lists where each card auto-structures itself.
Grid + regions card list
<div data-layout="grid" data-layout-min="15rem" data-layout-gap="m"> <article data-layout="regions" data-layout-gap="s"> <header>Performance</header> <section><p>Optimized for speed.</p></section> <footer>Core feature</footer> </article> <article data-layout="regions" data-layout-gap="s"> <header>Accessibility</header> <section><p>WCAG 2.1 AA compliant.</p></section> <footer>Built-in</footer> </article></div>Media Object
data-layout="media" places a figure and content side by side — the most common component pattern on the web.
| Element | Grid Area |
|---|---|
<figure>, <img>, <picture>, <video>, or [slot="figure"] | figure |
| Any other child | content |
Media object
<div data-layout="media" data-layout-gap="m"> <img src="avatar.jpg" alt="" width="48" height="48"> <div> <strong>Jane Doe</strong> <p>Published a new article about grid identity.</p> </div></div>| Modifier | Effect |
|---|---|
data-layout-reverse | Content on left, figure on right |
data-layout-align | Vertical alignment: start, center, end, stretch |
data-layout-gap | Gap between figure and content |
Media objects stack vertically in containers narrower than 25rem (via container query).
Composing Tiers
The full power of grid identity appears when you nest all three tiers. Each tier is scoped to its own container, so area names never collide.
Three-tier nesting
<body data-page-layout="sidebar-left"> <!-- Tier 1: page --> <header>Site Header</header> <nav>Primary Navigation</nav> <main data-layout="sidebar-right"> <!-- Tier 2: main --> <article data-layout="regions" data-layout-gap="l"> <!-- Tier 3: component --> <header><h1>Article Title</h1></header> <section><p>Article body...</p></section> <footer>Published Jan 2025</footer> </article> <aside><nav>Table of Contents</nav></aside> </main> <footer>Site Footer</footer></body>In this example:
- Tier 1 —
data-page-layout="sidebar-left"on body places the header, nav, main, and footer into page-level grid areas. - Tier 2 —
data-layout="sidebar-right"on main creates a secondary sidebar for the table of contents, usingmain-articleandmain-asideareas. - Tier 3 —
data-layout="regions"on article auto-places its header, section, and footer into component-level areas.
body-*, main-*, header/content/footer). They compose freely without conflict.
Quick Reference
Utilities
| Attribute | Effect |
|---|---|
data-layout-sticky | Sticky positioning for header, nav, or aside |
data-layout-bleed | Span all grid columns (full-width) |
data-layout-nowrap | Prevent responsive collapse to stack |
data-sidebar="collapsed" | Use collapsed sidebar width (64px) |
data-sidebar="hidden" | Hide the sidebar nav entirely |
data-layout-area | Explicit grid area override |
Named Containers
Page layout regions have named containers for targeted @container queries. This lets component authors write precision queries that target a specific region rather than the nearest anonymous container.
| Context | Element | Container Name |
|---|---|---|
data-page-layout | <main> | region-main |
data-page-layout | <nav> | region-nav |
data-page-layout | <aside> | region-aside |
main[data-layout="sidebar-left"] | <nav> | region-main-nav |
main[data-layout="sidebar-left"] | <article> | region-main-content |
main[data-layout="sidebar-right"] | <article> | region-main-content |
main[data-layout="sidebar-right"] | <aside> | region-main-aside |
Example: adapt typography when the main content area is narrow:
Targeted container query
@container region-main (width < 40rem) { .article-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }}For non-semantic elements that need containment, use the data-container attribute:
Explicit container opt-in
<div data-container="card"> <!-- Named container (container-name: card) --> <p>Content that responds to container width</p></div>Available presets: card, panel, media. Use the boolean form data-container (no value) for anonymous containment.
Related Pages
Semantic Layouts
Component-level data-layout attributes.
Attributes Reference
Complete data-layout API documentation.
Shell Patterns
Page layout patterns in practice.
Demos
Interactive layout demonstrations.