Cap a string at `max_len` chars without splitting a word; append an ellipsis when truncated. Backs off to the last space if cutting mid-word would happen.
Python
def truncate_words(text: str, max_len: int, ellipsis: str = "…") -> str:
text = text.strip()
if len(text) <= max_len:
return text
budget = max_len - len(ellipsis)
if budget <= 0:
return ellipsis[:max_len]
cut = text[:budget]
last_space = cut.rfind(" ")
if last_space > budget * 0.5:
cut = cut[:last_space]
return cut.rstrip(" ,.;:") + ellipsis
truncate_words("The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog", 20)
# 'The quick brown fox…'Save your own code snippets
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