What are the drawbacks of utilizing CSS word-wrap across all elements on a website?

Is there a downside to utilizing the CSS property word-wrap:break-word in this manner?

body
{
    word-wrap: break-word;
}

The definitions for the values of this property are as follows:

  • normal: Breaks words only at allowed breakpoints
  • break-word: Permits unbreakable words to be divided

Implementing this property will primarily impact unbreakable words, such as long continuous strings that exceed their container’s width. For most text instances, it should have no discernible effect.

Considering the potential benefits, are there any drawbacks to using this globally? It has the ability to resolve layout issues without causing any apparent negative consequences. Applying it universally could save you from having to address overflowing text concerns individually throughout your content.

css

Answer №1

It's hard to see any drawbacks because you can easily override this universal style if needed for specific word-wrapping in other areas.

However, narrowing down the scenarios where this is needed would be a smarter choice. Using a more specific class would be better to avoid potential rare bugs caused by a global break-word style (especially across different browsers).

Answer №2

I don't see any benefits of making content global on a page unless it's strictly for testing purposes.

Personally, I prefer unbroken words for readability. However, if you need to make your text fit into a div without using text-align:justify; and creating gaps between letters or words, it could be a good option.

The reason I mentioned avoiding this on anything other than a test page is because sometimes placeholder text stretches when replaced with gibberish. Since this wouldn't be used on the live site, it's not necessary.

Answer №3

In my opinion, the main concern would be ensuring compatibility with IE8.

As stated in this source, the CSS property word-wrap: break-word; may not function correctly in all situations.

This rule is applicable to elements that have layout. An element is considered to have layout when it is absolutely positioned, is a block element, or is an inline element with a defined height or width.

While this issue can be easily resolved, it's important to keep in mind if you plan on using this property for elements without "layout" when supporting IE8.

It's worth noting the new CSS3 properties:

http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-text/#word-break

http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-text/#word-wrap

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