truncate¶

The truncate filter is designed to shorten a string to a specified length. If the string exceeds the desired length, it is cut off, and an ellipsis (...) is appended to indicate the truncation.

Functionality

Strings: Takes a string as input.
Length: Requires an integer argument specifying the maximum desired length of the string.
Ellipsis (Optional): Accepts an optional string argument to use as the ellipsis character(s). Defaults to "..." if not provided.
Truncation: Shortens the string to the given length if it exceeds it, appending the ellipsis to the end.
Output: Returns the truncated string (or the original if it was shorter than the specified length).

Syntax

    {{ input_string | truncate: length, ellipsis }}

Arguments

length: An integer representing the maximum number of characters the output string should have.
ellipsis (optional): A string used to indicate that the string has been truncated. Defaults to "..." if not specified.

Code Samples

Example 1: Truncating a Long Sentence

    {% assign description = "This is a very long description that needs to be shortened." %}
    {{ description | truncate: 20 }}

Output:

This is a very long...

Example 2: Truncating with a Custom Ellipsis

    {% assign title = "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" %}
    {{ title | truncate: 15, "--more--" }}

Output:

Supercalifragi--more--

Example 3: No Truncation Necessary

    {% assign short_text = "Hello" %}
    {{ short_text | truncate: 10 }}

Output:

Hello

Outliers and Special Cases¶

Empty Strings: If the input string is empty, the truncate filter returns an empty string.
Length Less Than or Equal to Ellipsis Length: If the specified length is less than or equal to the length of the ellipsis, the filter might return only the ellipsis or raise an error, depending on the implementation.
Non-String Input: If the input is not a string, the truncate filter might attempt to convert it to a string or return an error.

Key Points¶

The truncate filter is valuable for controlling the display length of strings, especially in situations with limited space like previews or summaries.
It can be customized with a different ellipsis string to fit your design needs.
Be aware of the potential for the ellipsis to be cut off if the specified length is too short