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CSS - text-overflow: ellipsis with nested display: flex elements

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Created by:

DEX7RA

580

In this article, we're going to have a look at how to in a simple way in pure CSS cut overflowing text for multiple nested elements with flex-box.

Quick solution:

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<style>
​
    .parent-fix {           /*  with display: flex; styled element   */
        min-width: 0;
    }
    
    .text-shortcut {        /*  with display: block; styled element  */
        text-overflow: ellipsis;
        white-space: nowrap;
        overflow: hidden;
    }
​
</style>
​
<div style="width: 100px; display: flex">
  <div class="parent-fix" style="display: flex">
    <div class="text-shortcut">
      Very long text here, Very long text here, Very long text here
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

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A more complicated practical example

Edit

A verry common problem when we try to make CSS shortcut for text is: when we try to combine flex-box layout (display: flex;) with text-overflow: ellipsis.

The solution for this problem is to use min-width: 0 for parent element that we want to shortcut text.

Note: when div.shortcut element will be in flex-box mode (display: flex), text-overflow: ellipsis will be not working.

Conclusion: use ellipsis always with block element, wrapping text with aditional element when it is necessary.

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<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
  <style>
​
    div { padding: 5px; border: 1px solid red; }
    
    div.h-container { display: flex; }
    div.v-container { display: flex; flex-direction: column; }
    div.item { flex: 1; }
    
    div.fix {
        min-width: 0; /* <--------------- required */
    }
    
    div.shortcut  {
        text-overflow: ellipsis; /* <---- required */
        white-space: nowrap; /* <-------- required */
        overflow: hidden; /* <----------- required */
    }
​
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <div class="h-container">
    <!-                          |fix here (for flex element)                   ->
    <!-                          v                                              ->
    <div class="item v-container fix">
      <div class="item shortcut">  <!- ---------- shortcut here (block element) ->
        Very long text here, Very long text here, 
        Very long text here, Very long text here
      </div>
      <div class="item">
        Nothing here
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="item">
      Nothing here
    </div>
  </div>
</body>
</html>