How can I limit the width of a module that's crossing over from left to right?

Kelemvor

Hi,
I was looking for something to fill some space on my screen and happened upon the MMM Dad Jokes module. I installed it fine and put it in Top Left under the clock. The problem is the text doesn’t wrap so the module is crossing over into the right half of the screen and overlapping with my calendar module that’s over there. How can I stop this from happening?

I just want it to be the same size as the default Clock module with the same spacing. Is there a way to do that easily? I’m sure it can be done with some CSS, but I’m no good with CSS so any help would be great. ;)

Thanks.

https://i.imgur.com/tFy7Wjh.png

sdetweil

@Kelemvor i do not know the exact css

but see the second link in my signature below on using the developer window elements tab

and then

google search
how to wrap text with css

it will give you the css terms to use

you can also see this post about using the developer window elements window. a specific example and steps
https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/125328

BKeyport

@Kelemvor the answers will lie within the following two CSS items. Using Sam’s link, feel free to play with the CSS then add whatever works to custom.css

https://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css3_pr_word-wrap.php
https://www.w3schools.com/cssref/pr_dim_max-width.php

rkorell

@BKeyport , @Kelemvor
Thanks!

max-width: 350px;

worked for me.

I had a similar “problem” with module MMM-UselessFacts

word-wrap doesn’t do the trick …

Regards,
Ralf

sdetweil

@rkorell i don’t think there is a single term that works with 100% of content

rkorell

@sdetweil yes, for sure.
I’ve experimented a lot - even with trials to identify CSS-locator with debug-console (which fails)…
Finally this simple statement in module-documentes CSS-locator works fine…
:-)
Lucky punch …

Ralf

sdetweil

@rkorell said in How can I limit the width of a module that's crossing over from left to right?:

even with trials to identify CSS-locator with debug-console (which fails)…

then you aren’t using it correctly…

if you looked at this
https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/125328

the dev console SHOWS you the selector AND you can copy/paste the html to get the terms in custom.css

rkorell

@sdetweil

then you aren’t using it correctly…

yes :-)
For sure.
But in your given (referenced) example (Thanks for this - highly appreciated!) is happening exacty this “magic” which I cannot get through …

Example:

your “magic” reduces

.CX3 div .cell.today.thisMonth.thisYear.year_2025.month_3.date_25.weekday_2 div.cellHeader div.cellDate {
 height: 1em;
text-align: left;
}

to much simpler

.CX3 div .cell.today div.cellDate {
 height: 1em;
}

The reason behind is pretty clear but from my (naive and may incorrect) “understanding” MY approach would be

.CX3 div .cell.today div.cellHeader div.cellDate {
 height: 1em;
}

And I’m sure this is wrong and won’t work.
But why “div.cellHeader” is NOT neccesary regardless it’s presence in the copied locator - is kind of “contra-intuitive” and hard to understand …

And I guess this exactly are these issues why I’m struggling…

Warm regards,
Ralf

sdetweil

@rkorell will explain later
I use this set of pages to help me understand the css selector clause…
it used to be one page, now separated into like attributes…
https://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_selectors.php

the html from my example link

<div class="cell today thisMonth thisYear year_2025 month_3 date_29 weekday_6 weekend weekend_1" data-date="1743231600000" data-events="1" data-has-events="true" id="1743231600000_1743306263377" data-popoverble="true">
     <div class="cellHeader">
         <div class="cw">13</div>
         <div class="cellDate">
            <span class="dateParts month seq_0">Mar</span>
            <span class="dateParts literal seq_1"> </span>
            <span class="dateParts day seq_2">29</span>
         </div>
       </div>
       <div class="cellBody"></div>
       <div class="cellFooter">
    </div>
</div>

now, we want to pick today, and the thing that wraps the date itself.

css is really pretty straight forward

left to right match the elements from the selector
. means class=
# means id=
otherwise its an element name (div, table, p, span …)

so. we want JUST content in the `CX3` class content
   and then we want the things under `today`

we don’t HAVE to specify the element as long as there are not different elements with the same class… (div and span)

so
.CX3 .today

the space between means ‘also’, with no space it means ‘AND’ (same element has BOTH specified)

we REALLY want the cellDate class elements, can we get there from today?
yes,
the cellHeader element doesn’t matter, cause there is no OTHER location for cellDate, except under cellHeader…

so if we combine those

.CX3 .today .cellDate, together they define a specific element family we can ‘select’

we could add div.today (a div AND .today specified) , but it wouldn’t be more specific. In a calendar month there will only be ONE element with today class AND it only has ONE child element with cellDate, they are not the SAME element, so we need spaces between the selector elements

css will ALWAYS pick ALL elements that match, across the entire document(page)

so if we said .CX3 .cellDate we would adjust ALL of them, oops. NOT JUST for the one for today

we could use .cellDate
BUT if another module used that same class, then we would fiddle with their css… oops

rkorell

@sdetweil Dear Sam,
thanks for this long explanation.
Understood.

But you did it again :-) (no worries - it’s my own inability…).

You’ve introduced - magic again :-) - a .today identifier …
This definitely makes sens but is not “visible” from a dummie perspective …
Just to illustrate what I mean.
If one KNOWS what happens (remember our long discussion in another thread where I was not able to pick the right “div” tag in the console) all is quite easy.
If not - it’s really hard . That’s all what I try to show…
And yes - the right way is and should be to get a full understanding how CSS works - which is not true in my personal case…
So I’m seeking around with “trial and error” - which fails often…

Thanks for your engagement and effort!

Ralf