Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference

Name

line-height — NN 4 IE 4 CSS 1

Synopsis

Inherited: Yes

Sets the height of the inline box (the box holding one physical line of content). Under normal circumstances, the line-height of the tallest font in a line of text or the tallest object governs the line height for that content line. In theory, you should be able to set the line-height of a block element and have that value apply to all content lines, regardless of the font face or font size specified for inline content.

In practice, both Navigator 4 and Internet Explorer 4 can experience line space rendering problems when the font-size of inline text is larger than the size of surrounding text. Not all lines of the outer block adhere to the block’s line-height setting as expected (especially lines after the larger text segment). Moreover, in Navigator 4, the line-height attribute does not traverse more than one generation if the second generation element becomes a block-level element (such as a positioned or floated element). Test these settings extensively to make sure you get the look you desire.

CSS Syntax

line-height: normal | number | length | percentage

JavaScript Equivalent

lineHeight

Value

A value of normal lets the browser calculate line spacing for the entire element, thus producing a computed value that can be inherited by nested elements. A number value (greater than zero) acts as a multiplier for the font-size of the current element. Therefore, if a nested element inherits the line-height multiplier from its parent, ...