Vertically aligning text in a textarea

Bes · 25 Sep 2009 at 10:01

Hi,

The above is driving me crazy- I cannot find a decent way (CSS/ Javascript/ jquery whatever) to get text to be vertically aligned to the centre of a text area- so even if the user types more text in, it stays vertically aligned to the centre.

Can anyone help?

Thanks

daz · 25 Sep 2009 at 10:08

Correct me if i'm wrong, but this is one area where CSS falls down (or at least CSS with cross browser compatibility)... you may have to use a table with the text inside for this (valign = middle) IIRC.

Bes · 25 Sep 2009 at 10:37

A table inside the text box? Is that even possible?

daz · 25 Sep 2009 at 10:45

Oh... inside the text area? Thought you meant alongside or something

Ignore me then

simisker · 25 Sep 2009 at 10:48

Use the table cell to create a false textarea. Place the true textarea within that table cell [valign'ed, of course], with borders removed and with some padding in the cell to avoid the true textarea from going right to the edges.

suarve · 25 Sep 2009 at 10:53

simisker said:
Use the table cell to create a false textarea. Place the true textarea within that table cell [valign'ed, of course], with borders removed and with some padding in the cell to avoid the true textarea from going right to the edges.

That's a good idea, but some browsers add a scroll bar to the right

simisker · 25 Sep 2009 at 10:55

suarve said:
That's a good idea, but some browsers add a scroll bar to the right

Argh, you're right. Oh well, strike two

suarve · 25 Sep 2009 at 10:59

simisker said:
Argh, you're right. Oh well, strike two

Was a nice idea though

EDIT: actually, there's probably some obsure browser specific setting you could use to disable this.

Bes · 25 Sep 2009 at 15:08

hey would this method definately work? What do you mean by a false text area?

/noob

Thanks

suarve · 25 Sep 2009 at 17:07

Bes said:
hey would this method definately work? What do you mean by a false text area?

/noob

Thanks

It might work in certain browsers, but some browsers add a disabled vertical scroll bar to text areas. Say you're making some sort of internal system where you know exactly what browser software people are using, you may get away with it.

Bes · 25 Sep 2009 at 19:28

suarve said:
It might work in certain browsers, but some browsers add a disabled vertical scroll bar to text areas. Say you're making some sort of internal system where you know exactly what browser software people are using, you may get away with it.

Afraid not, people could be using anything

Imy · 30 Sep 2009 at 15:54

Have a look at the css overflow setting with regards to the above suggestions.