How to start a new column in flex column wrap layout

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Apparently, the correct solution is to use the break-before or break-after property:

A break is forced wherever the CSS2.1
page-break-before/page-break-after [CSS21] or the CSS3
break-before/break-after [CSS3-BREAK] properties specify a
fragmentation break.

At the time of writing, most browsers implement the *-break-* properties incorrectly or do not implement them at all. Consider this answer ahead of its time.

The following demo works in:

  • FF33
.grid {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
}
.grid .head {
  width: 25%;
  background: orange;
  border-bottom: thin dotted;
}
.grid .data {
  width: 25%;
  background: yellow;
  border-bottom: thin dotted;
}
/* force column breaks */
.grid .head:nth-child(n + 2) {
  page-break-before: always; /* FF33 */
}
<div class="grid">
  <div class="head">Column 1 (3 items)</div>
  <div class="data">item 1-1</div>
  <div class="data">item 1-2</div>
  <div class="data">item 1-3</div>
  <div class="head">Column 2 (4 items)</div>
  <div class="data">item 2-1</div>
  <div class="data">item 2-2</div>
  <div class="data">item 2-3</div>
  <div class="data">item 2-4</div>
  <div class="head">Column 3 (2 items)</div>
  <div class="data">item 3-1</div>
  <div class="data">item 3-2</div>
  <div class="head">Column 4 (1 items)</div>
  <div class="data">item 4-1</div>
</div>

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