How to Achieve Cross-Browser Word Wrapping in CSS/JS?

Word Wrapping in CSS/JS: A Cross-Browser Solution

The challenge of wrapping long strings of text within predetermined DIV widths without scrolling has long plagued web developers. To address this, various approaches have been explored, each with its own limitations.

• Overflow techniques like "overflow: hidden/auto/scroll" restrict text visibility and allow scrolling, which is not desired in this scenario.
• Injecting ­ into the string requires JavaScript or server-side modifications, but may disrupt copying and pasting and is not consistently supported across browsers.
• Measuring text width via hidden elements is computationally expensive and can lead to frozen sites, especially for extensive text bodies.
• Monospace fonts can disrupt width calculations and limit text styling.

Despite promising candidates like "word-wrap: break-word" and "" tags, these approaches either lack browser support or require precise breaking point calculation, which remains elusive.

Eureka! CSS to the Rescue

Finally, a breakthrough emerges in the realm of CSS:

.wordwrap {
    white-space: pre-wrap; /* css-3 */
    white-space: -moz-pre-wrap; /* Mozilla, since 1999 */
    white-space: -pre-wrap; /* Opera 4-6 */
    white-space: -o-pre-wrap; /* Opera 7 */
    word-wrap: break-word; /* Internet Explorer 5.5+ */
}

Utilizing this CSS rule, developers can seamlessly achieve cross-browser word wrapping without the pitfalls of previous methods. Additionally, you can employ the "word-wrap: normal;" rule to revert to default wrapping behavior.

This solution elegantly addresses the challenge of word wrapping, empowering developers to display long URLs and other uninterrupted text strings in an aesthetically pleasing and browser-compatible manner.

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