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Word-boundary-aware string truncation template filter

Author:
josho
Posted:
May 20, 2009
Language:
Python
Version:
1.0
Score:
2 (after 2 ratings)

This is a custom template filter that allows you to truncate a string to a maximum of num characters, but respecting word boundaries. So, for example, if string = "This is a test string.", then {{ string|truncatechars:12 }} would give you "This is a..." instead of "This is a te".

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from django.template import Library
from django.utils.encoding import force_unicode
from django.utils.functional import allow_lazy
from django.template.defaultfilters import stringfilter

register = Library()

def truncate_chars(s, num):
    """
    Template filter to truncate a string to at most num characters respecting word
    boundaries.
    """
    s = force_unicode(s)
    length = int(num)
    if len(s) > length:
        length = length - 3
        if s[length-1] == ' ' or s[length] == ' ':
            s = s[:length].strip()
        else:
            words = s[:length].split()
            if len(words) > 1:
                del words[-1]
            s = u' '.join(words)
        s += '...'
    return s
truncate_chars = allow_lazy(truncate_chars, unicode)

def truncatechars(value, arg):
    """
    Truncates a string after a certain number of characters, but respects word boundaries.
    
    Argument: Number of characters to truncate after.
    """
    try:
        length = int(arg)
    except ValueError: # If the argument is not a valid integer.
        return value # Fail silently.
    return truncate_chars(value, length)
truncatechars.is_safe = True
truncatechars = stringfilter(truncatechars)

register.filter(truncatechars)

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Comments

AndrewIngram (on May 22, 2009):

Truncate words will give you 'n' words regardless of length. Often when you want to truncate you will be working with a character limit rather than a word limit.

Truncating just characters is ugly because you end up with partial words - what this filter does is truncate characters but ensure you only get whole words.

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