> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://beyondcompare.gitbook.io/project/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://beyondcompare.gitbook.io/project/other/lines-too-long-wordwrap.md).

# Looooonnnnngggg lines...

 Wordwrap is not currently possible in Beyond Compare.  I've gotten used to this.  There are five things I do and a sixth that I haven't tried:\
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 1\) **Wider windows** help: View->OverUnderLayout

2\) **Rapid magnification** with Shift+Ctl+Scrollwheel can zoom out to a "high altitude" view

3\) High contrast **color** settings to help see a single letter in the line: <https://beyondcompare.gitbook.io/project/other/colors>

4\) **Thumbnail** view at the left gives you a clue about the bigger picture. It reminds me of the sideview in video games.  One tip: experment with rightclicking it and selecting `enable-scrolling` on large files. &#x20;

5\) **Bottom panel** To really focus on a long line, watch it in that extra bonus window at the bottom of the window.&#x20;

6\) You can manually set the **line length** but use this sparingly because it messes up some alignment performance: shorter lines. It makes the lines hard to read, too. &#x20;

To manually restrict the length of a line in all HTML files use the menu: `FileFormats->HTML->Conversion->CharactersPerLineLimit`

Why no Wordwrap

One reason seems to be a tradeoff, opting for a more efficient algorithm that can read an entire hard drive while also, optionally reading each file line by line and each line letter by letter.     &#x20;

Try to remember that the panel in Beyond Compare is not optimized as a word processor, it is really just a window into the huge data manipulation that BC is keeping track of across your many files and many lines in each file.  In the hundreds of lines of a given file, BC is searching character by character to find things that align.&#x20;