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-overflowword-wrapword-breakwriting-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;
}
The following example shows how you can display the overflowed content when hovering over the element:
Example
div.test:hover {
overflow: visible;
}
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;
}
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;
}
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;
}
Test Yourself with Exercises!
CSS Text Effect Properties
The following table lists the CSS text effect properties:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| text-align-last | Specifies how to align the last line of a text |
| 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 |