Changing the line spacing of label elements in HTML forms

I am encountering an issue with my form where the spacing between the two lines of the <label> element is too large and I am unable to adjust the line-height.

For reference, I have applied the same CSS styles to a <label> and a <p>. Surprisingly, the <p> adjusts properly, but the <label> remains unchanged.

http://jsfiddle.net/QYzPa/

CODE:

form label,
form p
{    
  font-weight:bold;
  line-height:.7em;
}
<form style="width:200px;">
    <fieldset>
         <label for="textarea">In ten or fewer words, explain American history</label>
        <p>In ten or fewer words, explain American history</p>
        <textarea name="textarea" rows="5" ></textarea>
    </fieldset>
</form>

htmllabelformscss

Answer №1

HTML tags are organized into categories that define their characteristics. These classifications encompass semantics, behavior, interaction, and various other aspects.

Within the "flow content" category, both the p and label tags can be found. However, the label tag also falls under the "phrasing content" category, setting it apart slightly.

Practically speaking, browsers will adhere to these tag categorizations when rendering. For instance, the p tag is usually treated as a block element, while the label tag defaults to an inline element. To change this default behavior, you can specify in CSS that you want your label to display as a block element.

label {
  display: block;
}

This adjustment is necessary because inline elements cannot have certain properties like height, line-height, margin-top, or 

margin-bottom</code (as they will be disregarded).</p>

<p>If you wish for an inline element to possess a height property without causing a line break, you can set it as follows:</p>

<pre><code>label{
 display:inline-block;
}

Referencing HTML's documentation is always beneficial. Check out this helpful graphic illustrating the different tag categories, which can be especially handy when encountering these types of nuances. Here is a link to the graph.

Answer №2

I believe Marcio is pointing out that when it comes to inline elements (such as spans or labels) which can be placed one after the other within text, you are unable to specify attributes that apply to the entire paragraph.

For instance, take text-align: this should be specified at the paragraph level and not on individual spans. The same goes for attributes like line-height.

In contrast, block elements like div or p occupy a defined area on a page and are stacked vertically in relation to each other in a block-level structure. This behavior is controlled through CSS using the attribute display, allowing you to make a div behave like a span and vice versa.

Answer №3

I'm not completely certain why, but you'll find success by applying display: block; to the label element.

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