Calculate text width with JavaScript

Question

I\'d like to use JavaScript to calculate the width of a string. Is this possible without having to use a monospace typeface?

If it\'s not built-in, my only idea is t

Answer 1

Building off of Deepak Nadar's answer, I changed the functions parameter's to accept text and font styles. You do not need to reference an element. Also, the fontOptions have defaults, so you to not need to supply all of them.

(function($) {
  $.format = function(format) {
    return (function(format, args) {
      return format.replace(/{(\d+)}/g, function(val, pos) {
        return typeof args[pos] !== 'undefined' ? args[pos] : val;
      });
    }(format, [].slice.call(arguments, 1)));
  };
  $.measureText = function(html, fontOptions) {
    fontOptions = $.extend({
      fontSize: '1em',
      fontStyle: 'normal',
      fontWeight: 'normal',
      fontFamily: 'arial'
    }, fontOptions);
    var $el = $('
', {
      html: html,
      css: {
        position: 'absolute',
        left: -1000,
        top: -1000,
        display: 'none'
      }
    }).appendTo('body');
    $(fontOptions).each(function(index, option) {
      $el.css(option, fontOptions[option]);
    });
    var h = $el.outerHeight(), w = $el.outerWidth();
    $el.remove();
    return { height: h, width: w };
  };
}(jQuery));

var dimensions = $.measureText("Hello World!", { fontWeight: 'bold', fontFamily: 'arial' });

// Font Dimensions: 94px x 18px
$('body').append('
').text($.format('Font Dimensions: {0}px x {1}px', dimensions.width, dimensions.height));