How Can I Create Elegant Leading Dots in CSS for a Table of Contents?

Creating Leading Dots in CSS: An Elegant Solution

In a table of contents, leading dots can effectively guide readers through lengthy lists. While there are various CSS techniques to achieve this, this specific method stands out for its effectiveness and simplicity.

The provided solution involves using an unordered list (

) and styling it with CSS. The ul is assigned the class "leaders" and has overflow set to hidden to prevent horizontal scrolling. The list items (
• ) are given a "before" pseudo-element that floats to the left, creating the desired space for the dots.

  The content of the "before" pseudo-element is a series of dots, separated by a wide enough space to ensure clarity. This content is dynamically generated using a large number of periods, so that browsers automatically add additional dots as needed.

  To align the text and dots correctly, the li items are then styled to include a span element as the first child. This span has some right padding and a white background, effectively creating a section to the left of the text that aligns perfectly with the dots.

  The remaining span elements within each li are floated to the right, with some left padding and a white background. This creates a space between the text and the right edge of the line, ensuring a consistent alignment across all items.

  This CSS-only solution is widely considered the most effective and visually pleasing way to create leading dots in a table of contents. Its simplicity and cross-browser compatibility make it a reliable and efficient option for enhancing the readability and user experience of your content.

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