text-overflow

Sumário

A propriedade text-overflow do CSS determina como o conteúdo que ultrapassou a sua div e que não é mostrado ao usuário deve ser exibido. Ele pode ser cortado, mostrar reticências ou até mesmo exibir qualquer string definida pelo autor.

O corte acontece na borda da caixa; para cortar no limite de caracteres de uma string personalizada, pode-se usar ('').

Essa propriedade afeta apenas o conteúdo que está ultrapassando o bloco ou a div no sentido da linha horizontal (não corta o texto na parte de baixo de um bloco ou div, por exemplo). O texto pode ultrapassar ou transbordar quando utilizado ‘white-space:nowrap’ ou quando uma palavra for muito grande.

Essa propriedade do CSS não força um estouro para que ele ocorra. Para que isso aconteça, é necessário que o autor utilize algumas propriedades adicionais no elemento, como setar a propriedade overflow para hidden.

Syntaxe

Formal syntax: [ clip | ellipsis | <string> ]{1,2}

/* One-value syntax: the value describe the overflow performed at the end of the line (right end if ltr, left end if rtl) */
text-overflow: clip
text-overflow: ellipsis
text-overflow: "…"

/* Two-value syntax: the first value describes the overflow at the left end of the line, 
                     the second at the right end. Directionality has no influence */

text-overflow: clip ellipsis
text-overflow: "…" "…"

text-overflow: inherit

Values

clip

This keyword value indicates to truncate the text at the limit of the content area, therefore the truncation can happen in the middle of a character. To truncate at the transition between two characters, the empty string value ('') must be used. The value clip is the default for this property.

ellipsis

This keyword value indicates to display ellipses ('…', U+2026 Horizontal Ellipsis) to represent clipped text. The ellipsis is displayed inside the content area, shortening more the size of the displayed text. If there is not enough place to display ellipsis, they are clipped.

<string>

The <string> to be used to represent clipped text. The string is displayed inside the content area, shortening more the size of the displayed text. If there is not enough place to display the string itself, it is clipped.

Examples

p {
  white-space: nowrap;
  width: 100%;                   
  overflow: hidden;              /* "overflow" value must be different from "visible" */ 

  text-overflow:    ellipsis;
}

CSS value	direction: ltr		direction: rtl
	Expected Result	Live result	Expected Result	Live result
visible overflow	1234567890	1234567890	0987654321	1234567890
text-overflow: clip		123456		1234567890
text-overflow: ''	12345	123456	54321	1234567890
text-overflow: ellipsis	1234…	1234567890	…4321	1234567890
text-overflow: '.'	1234.	1234567890	.4321	1234567890
text-overflow: clip clip	123456	1234567890	654321	1234567890
text-overflow: clip ellipsis	1234…	1234567890	6543…	1234567890
text-overflow: clip '.'	1234.	1234567890	6543.	1234567890
text-overflow: ellipsis clip	…3456	1234567890	…4321	1234567890
text-overflow: ellipsis ellipsis	…34…	1234567890	…43…	1234567890
text-overflow: ellipsis '.'	…34.	1234567890	…43.	1234567890
text-overflow: ',' clip	,3456	1234567890	,4321	1234567890
text-overflow: ',' ellipsis	,34…	1234567890	,43…	1234567890
text-overflow: ',' '.'	,34.	1234567890	,53.	1234567890

Using the abbr tag of HTML5 along with text-overflow

We have the example of the use of abbr tag inside a div with width 250px;

div {
    width: 250px;
    display: inline-block;
    white-space: nowrap;
    overflow: hidden;
    text-overflow: ellipsis;
    direction: ltr;
}

<div>
    <abbr title="https://developer.mozilla.org/pt-BR/docs/Web/CSS/text-overflow">https://developer.mozilla.org/pt-BR/docs/Web/CSS/text-overflow</abbr>
</div>

The full path of the URL will be displayed over the mouse, and the screen will be printed as follows: https://developer.mozilla.org/pt-BR/...

Specifications

A previous version of this interface reached the Candidate Recommendation status. As some not-listed-at-risk features needed to be removed, the spec was demoted to the Working Draft level, explaining why browsers implemented this property unprefixed, though not at the CR state.

Browser compatibility

Gecko notes

Starting in Gecko 10.0 (Firefox 10.0 / Thunderbird 10.0 / SeaMonkey 2.7), handling of text-overflow on blocks with inline overflow on both horizontal sides has been corrected; previously, if you specified only one value (such as text-overflow:ellipsis;), ellipsing was happening on both sides instead of just the end edge based on the block's text direction.

Internet Explorer notes

Internet Explorer 8 introduced the prefixed version, -ms-text-overflow, synonymous with text-overflow. Do not use this prefixed version.

Opera notes

Opera 9 and 10 require the prefixed version, -o-text-overflow.

See also

• CSS Reference index
• Related CSS properties: overflow, white-space