CSS Text Effects
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 »
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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Reference: https://www.w3schools.com/css/css3_text_effects.asp