| Depr. | Version |
|---|---|
| Yes | HTML 3.2 |
| IE5.5+ | FF1+ | SA1.3+ | OP9.2+ | CH2+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | Full | Full | Full | Full |
Syntax
Description
The
clear attribute is a deprecated (presentational)
attribute that’s used to clear any preexisting right or left alignments.
It ensures that the content after the br element
appears beneath the baseline of the previously aligned element; the
br doesn’t just create a line break in the content
that’s flowing around the right- or left-aligned element.
In the past, this approach would most often have been used to stop content wrapping around a right- or left-aligned image or table.
The correct
way of managing alignment issues is to use the CSS
float property, rather than the HTML
align attribute. To clear elements, we use the CSS
clear property like so:
<br clear="left"/> the old-fashioned HTML way <br style="clear:left;"/> the CSS way
Note that you should avoid inline CSS styles—the inline style above is provided for direct comparison purposes only.
Example
This example shows a
br with which a clear attribute
is used to take content below a right-aligned image:
<p><img src="pool.jpg" alt="sitting by the pool" align="right"/>
The rest of the day was a lazy one, partly spent by the complex
pool, partly inside watching British TV, but we couldn't be doing
this for the rest of the holiday. Already we were missing having
the car!
<br clear="all"/>
I decided to check out what the weather would be doing for the next
few days, as that would help us make any decisions about future
excursions.
</p>
Value
This attribute can take a number of
values: "left" or "right", to clear
previous left or right alignments respectively; "all",
to clear both alignments; and "none", to clear
nothing.
Compatibility
| Internet Explorer | Firefox | Safari | Opera | Chrome | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 9.2 | 9.5 | 10.0 | 2.0 |
| Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full |
Although support for this attribute is good, it’s now deprecated, and is highly presentational in its nature. The desired visual effects can all be achieved with CSS and, as such, this attribute shouldn’t be used—it’s presented here for informational purposes only.
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