I am facing an issue with a React Native View. I want the View to extend up to a certain width but not exceed it. Inside this View, there is a Text element that should fill out the full width of its parent. The problem arises when I try to center align the parent View using alignSelf: 'center'. This causes the view to shrink to fit the text inside the Text view.
https://i.sstatic.net/c0yv3.png
I am puzzled as to why changing the alignment of the View would alter its size, and I am looking for a solution to prevent this from happening.
Desired Output: https://i.sstatic.net/jz6Qj.png
To replicate this issue, you can refer to the code snippet below:
import * as React from 'react';
import { Text, View, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';
export default function App() {
return (
<View style={styles.container}>
<View style={styles.box}>
<Text style={styles.paragraph}>Text</Text>
</View>
</View>
);
}
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
container: {
flex: 1,
justifyContent: 'center',
backgroundColor: '#ecf0f1',
padding: 8,
},
box: {
backgroundColor: 'red',
height: 50,
maxWidth:200,
alignSelf: 'center'
},
paragraph: {
textAlign: 'left',
backgroundColor: 'green',
},
});
Why setting a fixed width won't solve the issue
If we set a fixed width, it will enforce the maximum size but restrict the element from shrinking below that value. Hence, specifying width is not a viable solution. An example scenario where the view extends beyond the display can be seen below.
With width:
https://i.sstatic.net/5yLB4.png
Expected: