Bootstrap combining rows (rowspan)

I am testing Twitter Bootstrap and got stuck with basic scaffolding with rows. I revisited their documentation number of times and I can see nesting columns where you can basically nest columns within a column but I cannot locate the capability of combining rows into one and have it aligned with column next to the uncombined rows.

Below picture should illustrate what I want to accomplish.

The only workaround solution I came across is using tables but I don't like this idea as my view is that the responsiveness wouldn't work with the use of tables.

Does anyone have any elegant solution to this? Most of the web layout I do will need fine level of flexibility so it will be great if I could pick up something useful here.

Solution 1:

Divs stack vertically by default, so there is no need for special handling of "rows" within a column.

div {
  height:50px;
}
.short-div {
  height:25px;
}

<link href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.6/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />

<div class="container">
  <h1>Responsive Bootstrap</h1>
  <div class="row">
    <div class="col-lg-5 col-md-5 col-sm-5 col-xs-5" style="background-color:red;">Span 5</div>
    <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-sm-3 col-xs-3" style="background-color:blue">Span 3</div>
    <div class="col-lg-2 col-md-2 col-sm-3 col-xs-2" style="padding:0px">
      <div class="short-div" style="background-color:green">Span 2</div>
      <div class="short-div" style="background-color:purple">Span 2</div>
    </div>
    <div class="col-lg-2 col-md-2 col-sm-3 col-xs-2" style="background-color:yellow">Span 2</div>
  </div>
</div>
<div class="container-fluid">
  <div class="row-fluid">
    <div class="col-lg-6 col-md-6 col-sm-6 col-xs-6">
      <div class="short-div" style="background-color:#999">Span 6</div>
      <div class="short-div">Span 6</div>
    </div>
    <div class="col-lg-6 col-md-6 col-sm-6 col-xs-6" style="background-color:#ccc">Span 6</div>
  </div>
</div>

Output:

Here's the fiddle.

Solution 2:

You should use bootstrap column nesting.

See Bootstrap 3 or Bootstrap 4:

<div class="row">
    <div class="col-md-5">Span 5</div>
    <div class="col-md-3">Span 3<br />second line</div>
    <div class="col-md-2">
        <div class="row">
            <div class="col-md-12">Span 2</div>
        </div>
        <div class="row">
            <div class="col-md-12">Span 2</div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="col-md-2">Span 2</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
    <div class="col-md-6">
        <div class="row">
            <div class="col-md-12">Span 6</div>
            <div class="col-md-12">Span 6</div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="col-md-6">Span 6</div>
</div>

http://jsfiddle.net/DRanJ/125/

(In Fiddle screen, enlarge your test screen to see the result, because I'm using col-md-*, then responsive stacks columns)

Note: I am not sure that BS2 allows columns nesting, but in the answer of Paul Keister, the columns nesting is not used. You should use it and avoid to reinvente css while bootstrap do well.

The columns height are auto, if you add a second line (like I do in my example), column height adapt itself.