How to center a div

[newcoder1010]

Hello, 

HTML:

<section class ="patent"> 

<div class ="child">

</div>

</section>

CSS:

 

.parent{text-align:center;}

 It centers everything inside child class. 

.child{margin:0 auto;}

It does nothing.

How can I place div class child in the center of the page? I will have other div classes inside child classes. I would like to center child div instead of centering elements inside the child class. Please advise. 

 

[Ingolme]

The child div needs a width. The concept of centering doesn't make sense when the element is as wide as the screen.

[dsonesuk]

If you want to centre .child using text-align, it must be a inline-block which makes it act like text, then you need to counteract the text align: center; by resetting it

.parent {text-align: center;}
.parent > .child{display: inline-block; text-align: initial;}

Note your section class has 'patent' NOT 'parent'

[newcoder1010]

Thanks.