CSS Text Effects

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CSS Text Overflow, Word Wrap, Line Breaking Rules, and Writing Modes

In this chapter you will learn about the following properties:

text-overflow
word-wrap
word-break
writing-mode

CSS Text Overflow

The CSS text-overflow property specifies how overflowed content that is not displayed should be signaled to the user.

It can be clipped:

This is some long text that will not fit in the box

or it can be rendered as an ellipsis (…):

This is some long text that will not fit in the box

The CSS code is as follows:

Example

p.test1 {
white-space: nowrap;
  width: 200px;
  border: 1px solid #000000;
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: clip;
}

p.test2 {
  white-space: nowrap;
  width: 200px;
  border: 1px solid #000000;
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: ellipsis;
}

Try it Yourself »

The following example shows how you can display the overflowed content when hovering over the element:

Example

div.test:hover {
overflow: visible;
}

Try it Yourself »

https://488e674e76d30293ad2ec4450b0731cd.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

CSS Word Wrapping

The CSS word-wrap property allows long words to be able to be broken and wrap onto the next line.

If a word is too long to fit within an area, it expands outside:

This paragraph contains a very long word: thisisaveryveryveryveryveryverylongword. The long word will break and wrap to the next line.

The word-wrap property allows you to force the text to wrap – even if it means splitting it in the middle of a word:

This paragraph contains a very long word: thisisaveryveryveryveryveryverylongword. The long word will break and wrap to the next line.

The CSS code is as follows:

Example

Allow long words to be able to be broken and wrap onto the next line:

p {
word-wrap: break-word;
}

Try it Yourself »

CSS Word Breaking

The CSS word-break property specifies line breaking rules.

This paragraph contains some text. This line will-break-at-hyphens.

This paragraph contains some text. The lines will break at any character.

The CSS code is as follows:

Example

p.test1 {
word-break: keep-all;
}

p.test2 {
word-break: break-all;
}

Try it Yourself »

CSS Writing Mode

The CSS writing-mode property specifies whether lines of text are laid out horizontally or vertically.

Some text with a span element with a vertical-rl writing-mode.

The following example shows some different writing modes:

Example

p.test1 {
writing-mode: horizontal-tb;
}

span.test2 {
writing-mode: vertical-rl;
}

p.test2 {
writing-mode: vertical-rl;
}

Try it Yourself »

Test Yourself With Exercises

Exercise:

Specify that the overflowed content for the <p> element should be signaled with an ellipsis (…).

<style>
p {
  white-space: nowrap; 
  width: 200px; 
  border: 1px solid #000000;
  overflow: hidden;
  : ;
}
</style>

<body>
  <p>
    This paragraph contains a very long word: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
  </p>
</body>

Submit Answer »

Start the Exercise

CSS Text Effect Properties

The following table lists the CSS text effect properties:

Property	Description
text-justify	Specifies how justified text should be aligned and spaced
text-overflow	Specifies how overflowed content that is not displayed should be signaled to the user
word-break	Specifies line breaking rules for non-CJK scripts
word-wrap	Allows long words to be able to be broken and wrap onto the next line
writing-mode	Specifies whether lines of text are laid out horizontally or vertically

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