TextLength

TextLength is an attribute used in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) on text-related elements such as text and tspan. It specifies the desired rendered length of the text along the horizontal axis, measured in the SVG user coordinate system. When textLength is provided, the user agent adjusts how the text is laid out so that the rendered string occupies the specified distance.

The adjustment is controlled by the lengthAdjust attribute, which can be set to "spacing" or "spacingAndGlyphs." If lengthAdjust is "spacing," the renderer increases or decreases the space between glyphs to fit the target length. If it is "spacingAndGlyphs," changes may also be applied to the widths of glyphs themselves. The effect is most predictable for a single line of text and can be influenced by font metrics, transforms, and other layout factors.

Syntax and usage are straightforward: the value of textLength is a length, specified in the current user units (for example, a plain number or a number with a unit such as px). The attribute can be applied to text elements and to tspan elements within SVG content. It does not apply to text that already wraps or flows into multiple lines unless additional layout properties are used.

Browser support for textLength is available in modern SVG-enabled browsers. As with other SVG layout features, results can vary with font rendering, transforms, and how the text is embedded in the surrounding graphic.