Zero-width space
The zero-width space (ZWSP) is a non-printing character used in computerized typesetting to indicate word boundaries to text processing systems when using scripts that do not use explicit spacing, or after characters (such as the slash) that are not followed by a visible space but after which there may nevertheless be a line break. Normally, it is not a visible separation, but it may expand in passages that are fully justified.[1]
Usage
In HTML pages, the zero-width space can be used as a potential line-break in long words as an alternative to the <wbr> tag. However, the zero-width space is not supported in all web browsers such as old versions of Internet Explorer (versions 6 and earlier).[2]
To show the effect of the zero-width space, the following words have been separated with zero-width spaces:
LoremIpsumDolorSitAmet,ConsecteturAdipisicingElit,SedDoEiusmodTemporIncididuntUtLaboreEtDoloreMagnaAliqua.UtEnimAdMinimVeniam,QuisNostrudExercitationUllamcoLaborisNisiUtAliquipExEaCommodoConsequat.DuisAuteIrureDolorInReprehenderitInVoluptateVelitEsseCillumDoloreEuFugiatNullaPariatur.ExcepteurSintOccaecatCupidatatNonProident,SuntInCulpaQuiOfficiaDeseruntMollitAnimIdEstLaborum.
On browsers supporting zero-width spaces, resizing the window will re-break the above text only at word boundaries.
Encoding
The zero-width space character is encoded in Unicode as U+200B zero width space (HTML: ​).[3]
In troff, it is written as a reverse solidus followed by a colon:
\:.[citation needed]
Its semantics and HTML implementation are comparable to but different from the soft hyphen.
See also
- Soft hyphen
- Word divider
- Word wrapping
- Zero-width non-joiner
- Space (punctuation) – includes table comparing various space-like characters
References
- Unicode Consortium, "Special Areas and Format Characters" (Chapter 16), The Unicode Standard, Version 5.2 full text
- Victor H. Mair, Yongquan Liu, Characters and computers, IOS Press, 1991
External links
- ↑ The Unicode Standard 6.1, p. 366
- ↑ Better Web Typography with Spaces and Hyphens at the Wayback Machine (archived December 14, 2010)
- ↑ "General Punctuation – Unicode". Retrieved 2013-07-20.