html - Flexbox not working inside table? -

i'm using flexbox display text label along numeric value in narrow column, text truncated ellipsis if doesn't fit.

it worked fine, until had need place entire column in table-cell - @ point browser (chrome) ignored column width , made table wide enough fit text.

here's label layout:

<div class="line">     <span>very long label text</span>     <span>12345</span> </div> 

.line {     display: flex;     width: 100%; } .line span:first-child {     white-space: nowrap;     flex-grow: 1;     overflow: hidden;     text-overflow: ellipsis; } .line span:last-child {     flex-shrink: 0;     margin-left: 5px; } 

placing in regular div fixed width works expected. placing in table-cell doesn't:

fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/98o7m7am/

.wrapper {    width: 150px;  }  .table {    display: table;  }  .table > div {    display: table-cell;  }  .line {    display: flex;    width: 100%;  }  .line span:first-child {    white-space: nowrap;    flex-grow: 1;    overflow: hidden;    text-overflow: ellipsis;  }  .line span:last-child {    flex-shrink: 0;    margin-left: 5px;  }

<div class="wrapper">    <div class="line">      <span>very long label text</span>      <span>12345</span>    </div>  </div>  <div class="table wrapper">    <div>      <div class="line">        <span>very long label text</span>        <span>12345</span>      </div>    </div>  </div>

update: ended 'solving' using more flexboxes instead of tables, still know why original example doesn't work.

that's because, default, tables use automatic table layout:

the css 2.1 spec doesn't define layout mode, suggests (non-normative) algorithm, reflects behavior of several popular html user agents.

according algorithm, table's width treated minimum width, , real width enough content not overflow:

calculate minimum content width (mcw) of each cell: formatted content may span number of lines may not overflow cell box.

since have white-space: nowrap, mcw width of full text.

to avoid that, can set initial width of first span 0:

.line span:first-child {   width: 0; } 

.wrapper {    width: 150px;  }  .table {    display: table;  }  .table > div {    display: table-cell;  }  .line {    display: flex;    width: 100%;  }  .line span:first-child {    width: 0;    white-space: nowrap;    flex-grow: 1;    overflow: hidden;    text-overflow: ellipsis;  }  .line span:last-child {    flex-shrink: 0;    margin-left: 5px;  }

<div class="wrapper">    <div class="line">      <span>very long label text</span>      <span>12345</span>    </div>  </div>  <div class="table wrapper">    <div>      <div class="line">        <span>very long label text</span>        <span>12345</span>      </div>    </div>  </div>

alternatively, may want try fixed table mode, defined in spec (and more reliable), faster, , solves problem too.

table-layout: fixed; 

.wrapper {    width: 150px;  }  .table {    display: table;    table-layout: fixed;  }  .table > div {    display: table-cell;  }  .line {    display: flex;    width: 100%;  }  .line span:first-child {    white-space: nowrap;    flex-grow: 1;    overflow: hidden;    text-overflow: ellipsis;  }  .line span:last-child {    flex-shrink: 0;    margin-left: 5px;  }

<div class="wrapper">    <div class="line">      <span>very long label text</span>      <span>12345</span>    </div>  </div>  <div class="table wrapper">    <div>      <div class="line">        <span>very long label text</span>        <span>12345</span>      </div>    </div>  </div>