Final answer:
The key difference between display flex and display inline-flex is that display flex creates a block-level container, while display inline-flex creates an inline container, affecting how they are laid out in relation to surrounding elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between display flex and display inline-flex lies in how the container behaves within its surrounding context. When you set an element's display property to flex, the element behaves like a block element, meaning it will take up the full width available. Its children will be flex items, and they will align according to the flex model.
On the other hand, when you set an element's display property to inline-flex, the container behaves like an inline element. It only takes up as much width as necessary for its contents. Like with display flex, the children of an inline-flex container are also flex items and follow the flex model. However, the inline-flex container will sit inline with other elements, such as text or inline elements, and will not start on a new line.
Choosing between these two display modes depends on the layout needs. If you want a flex container to act like a block-level element and potentially occupy the full width of its parent, use display flex. If you want the container to sit within a line of text or alongside other inline elements, without breaking the flow, display inline-flex is the appropriate choice.