Final answer:
The grid-area property in CSS grid layout is used to specify the size and position of an item within a grid container. It can be used without creating an areas template by directly specifying the row, column, row-end, and column-end values.
Step-by-step explanation:
In CSS grid layout, the grid-area property is used to specify the size and position of an item within a grid container. Normally, you would define grid areas using the grid-template-areas property. However, you can also use the grid-area property without creating an areas template by directly specifying the row, column, row-end, and column-end values for the grid item.
For example:
.grid-item {
grid-area: 1 / 1 / 3 / 3;
}
This code sets the grid item to span from row 1 to row 3, and column 1 to column 3 in the grid container.