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Get the bounding rectangle of a text node

Written byPhuoc Nguyen
Category
Tip
Created
30 Aug, 2023
When we want to calculate the bounding rectangle of an element, we can use the `getBoundingClientRect()` method. Unfortunately, this method isn't available for text nodes.
But don't worry, there are some tips to help you overcome this issue.
One solution is to use a `Range` to select the text node. Then we can get the bounding rectangle of the range, which will give us the bounding rectangle of the text node.
const calculateBoundingRect = (textNode) => {
const range = document.createRange();
range.selectNode(textNode);
return range.getBoundingClientRect();
};
The second approach is simpler and more natural. We just need to place the text node inside a `span` element, and then calculate the bounding rectangle of the `span`.
const calculateBoundingRect = (textNode) => {
const span = document.createElement('span');
textNode.parentNode.insertBefore(span, textNode);
span.appendChild(textNode);
const rect = span.getBoundingClientRect();

// Remove the span element
span.remove();

return rect;
};

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Phước Nguyễn