Example
Set the text direction of a <p> element to "right-to-left":
document.getElementById("myP").style.direction = "rtl";Try it Yourself »
Definition and Usage
The direction property sets or returns the text direction (reading order) of an element's content.
Browser Support
The direction property is supported in all major browsers.
Syntax
Return the direction property:
object.style.direction
Set the direction property:
object.style.direction="ltr|rtl|initial|inherit"
Property Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| ltr | Text flows from left to right. This is default |
| rtl | Text flows from right to left |
| initial | Sets this property to its default value. Read about initial |
| inherit | Inherits this property from its parent element. Read about inherit |
Technical Details
| Default Value: | ltr |
|---|---|
| Return Value: | A String, representing the text direction of an element |
| CSS Version | CSS2 |
More Examples
Example
Return the text direction of a <p> element:
alert(document.getElementById("myP").style.direction);
Try it Yourself »
Related Pages
CSS tutorial: CSS Text
CSS reference: direction property
HTML reference: HTML dir Attribute
HTML DOM reference: HTML DOM dir Property
< Style Object