--- title: "PageWidth" language: "en" type: "Symbol" summary: "PageWidth is an option for output streams and for cells that specifies how wide each line of text is allowed to be." keywords: - breaking - line length - lines - termcap - width - window - window size - wrapping - text block - textwrap canonical_url: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PageWidth.html" source: "Wolfram Language Documentation" related_guides: - title: "Text Layout Options" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/TextLayoutOptions.en.md" related_functions: - title: "TotalWidth" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/TotalWidth.en.md" - title: "Alignment" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Alignment.en.md" - title: "TextJustification" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/TextJustification.en.md" - title: "AutoIndent" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AutoIndent.en.md" - title: "InsertLinebreaks" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InsertLinebreaks.en.md" related_tutorials: - title: "Text and Font Options" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ManipulatingNotebooks.en.md#21174" - title: "Options for Notebooks" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ManipulatingNotebooks.en.md#6483" - title: "Files and Streams" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/FilesAndStreams.en.md" - title: "Streams and Low‐Level Input and Output" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/FilesStreamsAndExternalOperations.en.md#21617" --- # PageWidth ⚠ *Unsupported in Cloud* PageWidth is an option for output streams and for cells that specifies how wide each line of text is allowed to be. ## Details * Possible settings for output streams are: | | | | :------- | :------------------------------------ | | Infinity | an infinite width (no line breaking) | | n | explicit width in characters | * ``SetOptions[stream, PageWidth -> val]`` resets the line width allowed for an open stream. * Possible settings for cells are: | | | | :---------- | :-------------------------------------------- | | WindowWidth | the width of the window on the screen | | PaperWidth | the width of the page as it would be printed | | n | explicit width given in printer's points | * ``PageWidth -> WindowWidth`` allows each line to use the full width of the displayed window, taking into account settings for ``CellMargins``. * The ``PageWidth`` setting of a cell sets the boundary for all of the cell's elements, including the ``CellMargins``, ``CellFrame`` and ``CellFrameLabels``. It does not include the space allocated for the cell bracket. * ``PageWidth -> UpTo[n]`` is equivalent to the lesser of ``PageWidth -> WindowWidth`` and ``PageWidth -> n``. * If the effective ``PageWidth`` is less than the window's width, the alignment of the contents of the cell is controlled by the ``Alignment`` option. --- ## Examples (9) ### Basic Examples (2) Set the ``PageWidth`` to be 60 characters for a stream: ```wl In[1]:= file1 = FileNameJoin[{$TemporaryDirectory, "test1"}]; In[2]:= stream = OpenWrite[file1, PageWidth -> 60]; Write[stream, Expand[(x + y) ^ 5]]; Close[stream]; ``` Set the ``PageWidth`` to be 30 characters for a stream: ```wl In[3]:= file2 = FileNameJoin[{$TemporaryDirectory, "test2"}]; In[4]:= stream = OpenWrite[file2, PageWidth -> 30]; Write[stream, Expand[(x + y) ^ 5]]; Close[stream]; ``` Compare the two resulting files: ```wl In[5]:= FilePrint[file1] x^5 + 5*x^4*y + 10*x^3*y^2 + 10*x^2*y^3 + 5*x*y^4 + y^5 In[6]:= FilePrint[file2] x^5 + 5*x^4*y + 10*x^3*y^2 + 10*x^2*y^3 + 5*x*y^4 + y^5 ``` Delete the temporary files: ```wl In[7]:= DeleteFile[{file1, file2}] ``` --- Create an Output cell with a fixed width: ```wl In[1]:= CellPrint[TextCell["This is a bit of text", PageWidth -> 100, Background -> LightGreen]] ``` This is a bit of text ### Scope (4) Set a fixed page width: ```wl In[1]:= CellPrint[TextCell[StringTake[ExampleData[{"Text", "GettysburgAddress"}], 299], PageWidth -> 400]] ``` Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war...testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated. . . --- Set the width to use the full width of the window: ```wl In[1]:= CellPrint[TextCell[StringTake[ExampleData[{"Text", "GettysburgAddress"}], 299], PageWidth -> WindowWidth]] ``` Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war...testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated. . . --- Set the width to the paper width for the default printer: ```wl In[1]:= CellPrint[TextCell[StringTake[ExampleData[{"Text", "GettysburgAddress"}], 299], PageWidth -> PaperWidth]] ``` Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war...testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated. . . --- Set the width to be as much as 600 points, or narrower if the window is narrower: ```wl In[1]:= CellPrint[TextCell[StringTake[ExampleData[{"Text", "GettysburgAddress"}], 299], PageWidth -> UpTo[600]]] ``` Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war...testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated. . . ### Properties & Relations (3) The ``PageWidth`` cell setting includes the horizontal space consumed by ``CellMargins`` : ```wl In[1]:= Do[CellPrint[TextCell["This is a bit of text", PageWidth -> 400, CellMargins -> {{n, n}, {0, 0}}, Background -> LightGreen]], {n, 0, 150, 50}] ``` This is a bit of text This is a bit of text This is a bit of text This is a bit of text --- ``PageWidth`` affects the width of ``CellFrame`` and the position of ``CellFrameLabels`` : ```wl In[1]:= Do[CellPrint[TextCell["This is a bit of text", PageWidth -> n, CellFrame -> 1, CellFrameLabels -> {{"left", "right"}, {None, None}}]], {n, 200, 350, 50}] ``` This is a bit of text This is a bit of text This is a bit of text This is a bit of text --- ``Alignment`` determines how cells affected by a narrow ``PageWidth`` align: ```wl In[1]:= CellPrint[Cell["abc", PageWidth -> 200, CellFrame -> 1, Alignment -> Center]] ``` abc ## See Also * [`TotalWidth`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/TotalWidth.en.md) * [`Alignment`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Alignment.en.md) * [`TextJustification`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/TextJustification.en.md) * [`AutoIndent`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AutoIndent.en.md) * [`InsertLinebreaks`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InsertLinebreaks.en.md) ## Tech Notes * [Text and Font Options](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ManipulatingNotebooks.en.md#21174) * [Options for Notebooks](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ManipulatingNotebooks.en.md#6483) * [Files and Streams](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/FilesAndStreams.en.md) * [Streams and Low‐Level Input and Output](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/FilesStreamsAndExternalOperations.en.md#21617) ## Related Guides * [Text Layout Options](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/TextLayoutOptions.en.md) ## History * Introduced in 1988 (1.0) \| Updated in 1996 (3.0) ▪ 2003 (5.0) ▪ [2020 (12.1)](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/SummaryOfNewFeaturesIn121.en.md)