Word-wrap in an HTML table

Question

I\'ve been using word-wrap: break-word to wrap text in divs and spans. However, it doesn\'t seem to work in table cells. I have a tabl

Answer 1

I found a solution that seems to work in Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 7-9. For doing a two-column table layout with long text on the one side. I searched all over for similar problem, and what worked in one browser broke the other, or adding more tags to a table just seems like bad coding.

I did NOT use a table for this. DL DT DD to the rescue. At least for fixing a two-column layout, that is basically a glossary/dictionary/word-meaning setup.

And some generic styling.

    dl {
        margin-bottom:50px;
    }

    dl dt {
        background:#ccc;
        color:#fff;
        float:left;
        font-weight:bold;
        margin-right:10px;
        padding:5px;
        width:100px;
    }

    dl dd {
        margin:2px 0;
        padding:5px 0;
        word-wrap:break-word;
        margin-left:120px;
    }

    
test1
    
Fusce ultricies mi nec orci tempor sit amet
    
test2
    
Fusce ultricies
    
longest
    

        Loremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipingemipsumdolorsitametconsecteturaelit.Nulla
        laoreet ante et turpis vulputate condimentum. In in elit nisl. Fusce ultricies
        mi nec orci tempor sit amet luctus dui convallis. Fusce viverra rutrum ipsum,
        in sagittis eros elementum eget. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora
        torquent per conubia nostra, per.
    

Using floating word-wrap and margin left, I got exactly what I needed. Just thought I'd share this with others, maybe it will help someone else with a two-column definition style layout, with trouble getting the words to wrap.

I tried using word-wrap in the table cell, but it only worked in Internet Explorer 9, (and Firefox and Google Chrome of course) mainly trying to fix the broken Internet Explorer browser here.