Confluence

Learn how to quickly add non-breaking spaces, dashes, horizontal rules, line breaks and paragraph breaks to your content...

Non-Breaking Spaces

A non-breaking space is essentially a space that won't get used as a word-wrap break near the edge of the screen.

To add a non-breaking space, insert the following where you would normally insert a normal space:

 

Here's an example:

Normal Spaces: When you use normal spaces, the text will automatically wrap at the nearest space to the edge of the page.

Non-Breaking Spaces: This is a really long line however the last section of the line will not be word wrapped as you'd expect because of non-breaking spaces.

Result: Normal Spaces: When you use normal spaces, the text will automatically wrap at the nearest space to the edge of the page.

Non-Breaking Spaces: This is a really long line however the last section of the line will not be word wrapped as you'd expect because of non-breaking spaces.

Note: You can use the noformat macro and code macro to create large blocks of non-breaking text.

You can also use non-breaking spaces to make a bigger gap in your text, for example:

The web browser will only show     a single space with normal spaces.

But non-breaking     spaces will always be shown.

Result: The web browser will only show a single space with normal spaces.

But non-breaking     spaces will always be shown.

Dashes

If you've ever wanted to use a dash - to separate out text in a sentence - then you've probably just used a short dash like the one we've used here. However, there are different styles of dashes that can be used to emphasise breaks in a sentence...

Normal Dash

To add a basic dash, like the one we've used above, simply insert a hyphen:

This sentence has a - normal dash - in it.

Result: This sentence has a - normal dash - in it.

En Dash and Em Dash

For a slightly longer dash, use two or three hyphens together:

A - dash.
An -- "N" en dash.
An --- "M" em dash.

Result:
A - dash.
An – en dash.
An — em dash.

If you are using the Rich Text Editor, you can add the en dash and em dash using the Insert Symbol button.

These dashes are the relative width of the the letters "N" and "M" and their names came from the once common typesetting jargon used in the days of movable lead type. They are the same width as the capital letters N & M and the phrases were used when doing the math needed to set the page. With the advent of proportional fonts and a much higher variation in character widths, the dashes are no longer the same relative width as the letters "N" ( – ) and "M" ( — ) but the em dash is still longer than an en dash even if the font you are using has a wider "N" than "M".

Horizontal Rule

If you need a super-sized dash that goes all the way across the screen, use a horizontal rule by adding four hyphens:

This is some text split
----
by a horizontal rule.

Result: This is some text split

by a horizontal rule.

Note: The four hyphens need to be on a new line for the horizontal rule to appear.

Horizontal rules are useful for splitting blocks of text and are often used in Custom Footers or under page Headings.

If you are using the Rich Text Editor you can insert a horizontal rule using the Horizontal rule button.

Line Breaks

By default, blocks of text will word wrap automatically however there will be times when you want a bit more control and that's where line breaks come in handy. A line break tells the web browser to immediately move to a new line, regardless of where it is used:

This is some text \\that's had line \\breaks added to \\make it look a bit \\like a column.

Result:
This is some text
that's had line
breaks added to
make it look a bit
like a column.

Note: If you really want a column, then it's best to use the section macro and column macro.

Another way to get the same effect is to just start a new line where required as shown below:

This is some text
that's had line
breaks added to
make it look a bit
like a column.

Result:

This is some text
that's had line
breaks added to
make it look a bit
like a column.

One of the main uses for line breaks is to create a custom-sized space in your content, for example:

This is the top, followed by a big gap...
\\
\\
\\
\\
And this is the bottom.

Result: This is the top, followed by a big gap...



And this is the bottom.

Paragraph Breaks

To add a paragraph break, simply insert a blank line between your paragraphs, for example:

This is my first paragraph.

This is my second paragraph.

Result: This is my first paragraph.

This is my second paragraph.

Hints and Tips

None at present.

Frequently Asked Questions

None at present.