What is the CSS text-align property and how does it work?
Davide S
The CSStext-align property is used to control the horizontal alignment of text within its containing element. It determines how the text is positioned within the block-level element or inline element box. Here's a detailed explanation of how thetext-align property works:
1. Horizontal Alignment:
Thetext-align property affects the horizontal alignment of text content within its containing element. It can be applied to block-level elements (such as
,,, etc.) and inline elements (such as,, etc.).
2. Values oftext-align:
Thetext-align property accepts several values that define the desired horizontal alignment of the text:
-left: Aligns the text to the left edge of the containing element.
-right: Aligns the text to the right edge of the containing element.
-center: Centers the text horizontally within the containing element.
-justify: Distributes the text evenly within the containing element, creating straight left and right edges.
-start: Behaves likeleft in left-to-right languages, but likeright in right-to-left languages.
-end: Behaves likeright in left-to-right languages, but likeleft in right-to-left languages.
3. Usage:
To use thetext-align property, target the desired element(s) and set thetext-align value. For example:
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p {
text-align: center;
}
In this example, thetext-align property is applied to elements, causing the text within them to be centered horizontally.
4. Nested Elements:
Thetext-align property affects not only the direct text content but also the alignment of any nested elements. For example, if you applytext-align: center to a parent
element, all the text and nested elements within it will be centered.
5. Cascading and Inheritance:
Thetext-align property cascades down the DOM tree, meaning that child elements inherit the value from their parent elements. However, thetext-align value can be overridden for individual elements by specifying a different value.
6. Inline Elements:
For inline elements, thetext-align property aligns the text within the inline box, affecting its position relative to other inline elements or surrounding content. It does not change the layout of the surrounding content or create a new block-level box.
7. Limitations:
Thetext-align property only affects horizontal alignment. To control vertical alignment, you can use other CSS properties such asvertical-align or flexbox alignment properties.
By utilizing thetext-align property, you can easily control the horizontal alignment of text content within its containing element. This helps in achieving proper text presentation and alignment in your web designs.
