The <bdo> HTML element, which stands for bidirectional override, is used to explicitly override the current text directionality of its content. This is particularly useful in web development when dealing with languages that have a different reading direction than the surrounding text. For instance, languages like Arabic and Hebrew are read from right to left (RTL), while English is read from left to right (LTR). The <bdo> element ensures that text within it is displayed in the specified direction, regardless of the surrounding text's directionality.
The primary attribute used with the <bdo> element is dir, which specifies the direction in which the text should be rendered. The dir attribute can take values such as ltr for left-to-right text direction and rtl for right-to-left text direction. By using the <bdo> element, developers can ensure that text is displayed correctly in mixed-language documents, preventing layout issues that might arise from incorrect text flow. Here is an example of how the <bdo> tag can be used:
<p>This text will go left to right.</p>
<p><bdo dir="rtl">This text will go right to left.</bdo></p>Valid Attributes for <bdo>
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| dir | Specifies the direction of the text. Possible values are ltr (left-to-right) and rtl (right-to-left). |
In summary, the <bdo> element is a valuable tool for managing text directionality in multilingual web pages, ensuring that text is presented in the correct reading order. It is particularly useful for overriding the default text direction in documents where multiple languages are used.