Word-wrap in flexbox is not respecting 100% width limit [duplicate] - html

Question

This question already has answers here:
Why don't flex items shrink past content size?
(5 answers)
Closed 5 years ago.
I have 2 flexboxes and a flexbox inside one.
I want the text to break into multiple lines if it is bigger than it's parent. For some reason it works if I sent a fixed value (e.g. 250px) as width. If I set the width to 100%, it will not break into multiple lines.
This is the code I have:
#flexparent {
display: flex
}
#flexchild1 {
flex: 1;
background-color: green;
}
#flexchild2 {
flex: 1;
background-color: red;
display: flex;
flex-flow: column
}
#flexchild3 {
background-color: purple;
width: 100%;
word-wrap: break-word;
}
<div id="flexparent">
<div id="flexchild1">
FLEXCHILD1
</div>
<div id="flexchild2">
FLEXCHILD2
<div id="flexchild3">
ThisisasuperlongsentenceLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamtstLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamtst
</div>
</div>
</div>
This is how I want it but without the spaces in the long sentence.
#flexparent {
display: flex
}
#flexchild1 {
flex: 1;
background-color: green;
}
#flexchild2 {
flex: 1;
background-color: red;
display: flex;
flex-flow: column
}
#flexchild3 {
background-color: purple;
word-wrap: break-word;
}
<div id="flexparent">
<div id="flexchild1">
FLEXCHILD1
</div>
<div id="flexchild2">
FLEXCHILD2
<div id="flexchild3">
Thisisasuperlongsentence Loremipsum dolorsitametcon secteturadipisicingelitAsperi resnecessitatibusneu eodioImpeditistenes ciuntescorru ptiessecumrepudia ndaequidolor umIllumtempori busquoerrorcumqu eeximpeditmagnam Lore mipsumdo lorsitam etconsecteturadipisicing elitAsperioresne cessitatibusneueodi oImpeditisten esciuntescorruptiessecumrepudia ndaequidolorumIll umtemporibusq uoerrorc umqueeximpe ditmagn amtstLoremipsu mdolorsitametcon secteturadipisici ngelitAsperio resnecessitati busn
</div>
</div>
</div>
Here are the codepens I made for this.
The code I have: https://codepen.io/tomzz/pen/mpJMow
How I want it but without the 250px width: https://codepen.io/tomzz/pen/VyLMaW
How I want it but without the spaces in the sentence: https://codepen.io/tomzz/pen/vpOeJp

Answer 1

This is a min-width issue, where a flex item can't be smaller than its content.
The default value of min-width is auto, and in this case it happens to the flex item #flexchild2
Give it min-width: 0 and it will work.
Also, the width: 100% is not needed, since a flex "column" item's align-items default to stretch, and as such automatically take full width of its parent, and can be removed.
Stack snippet
#flexparent {
display: flex
}
#flexchild1 {
flex: 1;
background-color: green;
}
#flexchild2 {
flex: 1;
background-color: red;
display: flex;
flex-flow: column;
min-width: 0; /* added */
}
#flexchild3 {
background-color: purple;
/*width: 100%; removed */
word-wrap: break-word;
}
<div id="flexparent">
<div id="flexchild1">
FLEXCHILD1
</div>
<div id="flexchild2">
FLEXCHILD2
<div id="flexchild3">
ThisisasuperlongsentenceLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamtstLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamtst
</div>
</div>
</div>

Answer 2

The problem is that percentage-based widths are based off of the immediate parent. If the immediate parent has no width, the child cannot know what 100% of an arbitrary value is. flex: 1 is shorthand that contains flex-grow: 1, meaning that #flex2 can grow infinitly without setting this width constraint.
Percentage-based widths bubble up to the point a fixed width is known, so all you have to do is set a width of 100% of #flexchild2 as well in order for #flexchild3 to inherit the width of #flexparent:
This can be seen in the following:
#flexparent {
display: flex;
}
#flexchild1 {
flex: 1;
background-color: green;
}
#flexchild2 {
flex: 1;
background-color: red;
display: flex;
flex-flow: column;
width: 100%;
}
#flexchild3 {
background-color: purple;
width: 100%;
word-wrap: break-word;
}
<div id="flexparent">
<div id="flexchild1">
FLEXCHILD1
</div>
<div id="flexchild2">
FLEXCHILD2
<div id="flexchild3">
ThisisasuperlongsentenceLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamtstLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamtst
</div>
</div>
</div>
However, note that due to you using two columns, you'll probably want to give #flexparent a width of 100%, and set your two columns to 20% and 80% respectively. Note that #flexchild3 still inherits 100% of the width of #flexchild2 (which is 80% of the width of #flexparent):
#flexparent {
display: flex;
width: 100%;
}
#flexchild1 {
flex: 1;
background-color: green;
width: 20%;
}
#flexchild2 {
flex: 1;
background-color: red;
display: flex;
flex-flow: column;
width: 80%;
}
#flexchild3 {
background-color: purple;
width: 100%;
word-wrap: break-word;
}
<div id="flexparent">
<div id="flexchild1">
FLEXCHILD1
</div>
<div id="flexchild2">
FLEXCHILD2
<div id="flexchild3">
ThisisasuperlongsentenceLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamtstLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamLoremipsumdolorsitametconsecteturadipisicingelitAsperioresnecessitatibusneueodioImpeditistenesciuntescorruptiessecumrepudiandaequidolorumIllumtemporibusquoerrorcumqueeximpeditmagnamtst
</div>
</div>
</div>
Hope this helps! :)