Why Isn't My CSS Text-Overflow: Ellipsis; Working?

Ellipsis Truncation with CSS: The Missing Pieces

Attempting to implement CSS text truncation with text-overflow: ellipsis; can be frustrating when it just doesn't seem to work. Understanding the subtle dependencies of this property is key to successful implementation.

Prerequisites for Ellipsis Truncation

For text-overflow: ellipsis; to function correctly, the following conditions must be met:

1. Constrained Width: The element's width must be explicitly set in pixels (px), as setting it in percentage (%) will not trigger the ellipsis.
2. Overflow Control: overflow: hidden; must be applied to the element to prevent overflow from interfering with truncation.
3. Whitespace Restriction: white-space: nowrap; must be set to prevent line breaks from breaking the ellipsis.

Fixing Your Issue

Your initial issue arises from the fact that your anchor tag a lacks a constrained width. The width property you've set is ignored due to its inline display setting. To rectify this, you have several options:

• Inline-Block Display: Set the element to display: inline-block;, which will constrain its width while maintaining its inline-like behavior.
• Constrained Container: Ensure that a parent element has display: block; and a fixed width or max-width; applied.
• Floating Element: Set the element to float: left; or float: right;, which will also constrain its width.

Example

Here's an example using the inline-block solution:

.app a {
  ... // Existing styles
  display: inline-block;
}

Conclusion

By understanding the specific conditions that trigger text-overflow: ellipsis;, you can ensure that this powerful CSS property functions as intended in your web designs.

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