hr
Summary
The hr element represents a paragraph-level thematic break in text.
Overview Table
The hr element represents a paragraph-level thematic break. That sounds kinda strange, I know, but a good example what that means comes from the world of fiction where the text in a given chapter might shift from one location to another or from one period of time to another. The hr is a great way to indicate a shift like that.
Examples
This example uses the hr element to create a paragraph-level thematic break.
<p>This is a paragraph in a section about Topic A.</p>
<hr/>
<p>This paragraph is part of a section concerning Topic B.</p>
Usage
The hr element is a “replaced element” which means it is comprised of a single tag with no content. You can apply attributes (e.g. class) to the tag, but it must not contain text.
As a replaced element, the hr will be automatically closed by browsers, but you can also explicitly close the element with a trailing slash: <hr/>
Notes
In HTML 4.01, the hr element represented a horizontal rule. And while the hr element may still be displayed as a horizontal rule in visual browsers, it is now defined in semantic terms, rather than presentational ones.
Standards information
- Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 HTML Specification, Section 1.6.5
- HTML 4.01 Specification, Section 15.3
Related specifications
See also
Related articles
HTML
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Attributions
Microsoft Developer Network: [Windows Internet Explorer API reference Article]