String truncation is a process of shortening a string by removing characters from the end. This can be done for a variety of reasons, such as to make room for other text or to make the string fit within a certain width. One common way to truncate a string is to add an ellipsis (…) at the end to indicate that there is more text that has been removed.
Why Use a Truncated String?
If you have a long string that you want to display in a limited space, you may want to truncate the string and add an ellipsis (…) to indicate that the string has been shortened. This can be useful when displaying data in a table or list, for example. Truncating a string is a simple way to shorten it without losing any important information. An ellipsis can be added to the end of the truncated string to indicate that there is more text available.
It is important to consider where the ellipsis will be placed. If the ellipsis is placed in the middle of the string, it may split up important words or phrases. Placing the ellipsis at the end of the string is usually a better option. If you are truncating a string for display purposes, you may also want to consider adding a tooltip so that users can see the full string if they hover over the truncated text.
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How to Truncate a String with an Ellipsis
There are a few different ways to truncate a string with an ellipsis. One way is to use the “…” character. This will insert an ellipsis into the string at the point where you want it truncated. Another way is to use a custom function. This will allow you to specify exactly how many characters you want to keep before the ellipsis is inserted.
One advantage of using the “…” character is that it is a standard way of indicating that a string has been truncated. This means that your readers will immediately know that they are only seeing part of the original string. However, one downside is that it can be difficult to control exactly where the ellipsis appears in the string. If you want more control over how your string is truncated, then using a custom function may be a better option.
When using a custom function, you can specify exactly how many characters you want to keep before the ellipsis is inserted. This gives you more control over the final appearance of your string. However, this approach requires more work to set up. If you’re not comfortable with coding, then using the “…”
Examples
1. Truncate a string with an ellipsis:
var truncatedString = “This is a long string that needs to be truncated.”;
truncatedString = truncatedString.substring(0, 10) + “…”;
console.log(truncatedString); // This is a lon…
2. Truncate a string in the middle:
var truncatedString = “This is a long string that needs to be truncated.”;
truncatedString = truncatedString.substring(0, 5) + “…” + truncatedString.substring(8);
console.log(truncatedString); // This…be truncated.
3. Truncate a string at the end:
var truncatedString = “This is a long string that needs to be truncated.”;
truncatedString = truncatedString.substring(0, 10) + “…”; // This is a long… (10 chars including ellipsis) or use: var maxLength = 10;
console.log(truncatedString);
Read also: The Difference Between Responsive and Adaptive Design
Conclusion
In this article, we learned how to truncate a string. We saw how to specify the number of characters to keep, as well as what to do if the string needs to be truncated at different locations in the string. Hopefully, this illustrates the needs and methods of string truncation, and when to use them.