# generaltranslation: General Translation Core SDK: formatCutoff
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/docs/core/class/methods/formatting/format-cutoff.mdx
---
title: formatCutoff
description: API reference for the GT formatCutoff method
---

## Overview

The `formatCutoff` method truncates strings with locale-aware terminators, applying appropriate ellipsis characters and spacing based on the target locale.

This method is essential for UI text truncation that respects different languages' conventions for indicating truncated text.

```typescript
const gt = new GT({
  sourceLocale: 'en',
  targetLocale: 'fr-FR'
});

const formatted = gt.formatCutoff('Hello, world!', {
  maxChars: 8
});
// Returns: "Hello, w\u202F…" (with narrow space in French)
```

***


## Reference

### Parameters

<TypeTable
  type={{
  "value": {
    type: 'string',
    optional: false,
  },
  "options?": {
    type: 'object',
    optional: true,
  }
}}
/>

### Options object

| Property     | Type                   | Optional | Description                                                                                   |
| ------------ | ---------------------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `locales`    | `string \| string[]`   | ✓        | Locale(s) to use for terminator selection (overrides instance defaults)                       |
| `maxChars`   | `number`               | ✓        | Maximum characters to display. Undefined means no cut-off. Negative values slice from the end |
| `style`      | `'ellipsis' \| 'none'` | ✓        | Terminator style. Defaults to `'ellipsis'`                                                    |
| `terminator` | `string`               | ✓        | Custom terminator to override locale defaults                                                 |
| `separator`  | `string`               | ✓        | Custom separator between terminator and text                                                  |

### CutoffFormatOptions type

```typescript
interface CutoffFormatOptions {
  maxChars?: number;
  style?: 'ellipsis' | 'none';
  terminator?: string;
  separator?: string;
}
```


### Returns

`string` - The truncated string with an appropriate terminator applied according to locale conventions.

***

## Behaviour

### Locale resolution

* Uses the instance’s `_renderingLocales` by default (includes `sourceLocale`, `targetLocale`, and fallback)
* Can be overridden with an explicit `locales` option
* Falls back to the library default locale if resolution fails

### Character limit processing

* **Positive `maxChars`**: Truncates from the beginning, appends terminator
* **Negative `maxChars`**: Slices from the end, prepends terminator
* **Zero `maxChars`**: Returns an empty string
* **Undefined `maxChars`**: No truncation applied, returns the original string

### Locale-specific behaviour

The method automatically selects the appropriate terminators based on the language:

* **French (`fr`)**: `…` with a narrow non-breaking space (`\u202F`)
* **Chinese (`zh`)**: Double ellipsis `……` with no separator
* **Japanese (`ja`)**: Double ellipsis `……` with no separator
* **Default**: Single ellipsis `…` with no separator

***

## Examples

### Basic usage with instance locales

```typescript
const gt = new GT({ targetLocale: 'en-US' });

const truncated = gt.formatCutoff('Hello, world!', {
  maxChars: 8
});
console.log(truncated); // "Hello, w…"
```


### Locale override

```typescript
const gt = new GT({ targetLocale: 'en-US' });

// Override instance locale
const french = gt.formatCutoff('Bonjour le monde', {
  locales: 'fr-FR',
  maxChars: 10
});
console.log(french); // "Bonjour\u202F…"
```


### Negative character limits

```typescript
const gt = new GT({ targetLocale: 'en-US' });

// Slice from end
const fromEnd = gt.formatCutoff('JavaScript Framework', {
  maxChars: -9
});
console.log(fromEnd); // "…Framework"

// Larger negative slice
const moreFromEnd = gt.formatCutoff('Hello, world!', {
  maxChars: -3
});
console.log(moreFromEnd); // "…ld!"
```


### Custom styling options

```typescript
const gt = new GT({ targetLocale: 'en-US' });

// Custom terminator
const custom = gt.formatCutoff('Long description text', {
  maxChars: 12,
  terminator: '...'
});
console.log(custom); // "Long desc..."

// Custom terminator with separator  
const customSep = gt.formatCutoff('Another example', {
  maxChars: 10,
  terminator: '[...]',
  separator: ' '
});
console.log(customSep); // "Anot [...]"

// No terminator
const none = gt.formatCutoff('Clean cut text', {
  maxChars: 5,
  style: 'none'
});
console.log(none); // "Clean"
```


### Multilingual application

```typescript
class UserInterface {
  private gt: GT;
  
  constructor(locale: string) {
    this.gt = new GT({ targetLocale: locale });
  }
  
  truncateTitle(title: string, maxLength = 20): string {
    return this.gt.formatCutoff(title, { maxChars: maxLength });
  }
  
  truncateDescription(description: string): string {
    return this.gt.formatCutoff(description, { maxChars: 100 });
  }
}

const englishUI = new UserInterface('en-US');
const chineseUI = new UserInterface('zh-CN');

console.log(englishUI.truncateTitle('Very Long English Title Here', 15));
// Output: "Very Long Engl…"

console.log(chineseUI.truncateTitle('很长的中文标题在这里', 8));
// Output: "很长的中文标题……"
```


### Dynamic locale handling

```typescript
const gt = new GT({ sourceLocale: 'en', targetLocale: 'en' });

function adaptiveText(text: string, userLocale: string, context: 'title' | 'body') {
  const limits = {
    title: { 'en': 50, 'fr': 45, 'de': 40, 'zh': 25 },
    body: { 'en': 200, 'fr': 180, 'de': 160, 'zh': 100 }
  };
  
  const maxChars = limits[context][userLocale] || limits[context]['en'];
  
  return gt.formatCutoff(text, {
    locales: userLocale,
    maxChars
  });
}

// Usage in application
const userPrefs = [
  { locale: 'fr-FR', text: 'Une très longue description française' },
  { locale: 'zh-CN', text: '这是一个非常长的中文描述文本' },
  { locale: 'de-DE', text: 'Eine sehr lange deutsche Beschreibung' }
];

userPrefs.forEach(({ locale, text }) => {
  console.log(`${locale}: ${adaptiveText(text, locale, 'title')}`);
});
```

***


## Notes

* The method uses the GT instance&#39;s `_renderingLocales` for automatic locale detection
* Terminator and separator length are accounted for in character limit calculations
* If terminator + separator length exceeds `maxChars`, returns an empty string
* Custom terminators completely override locale-specific defaults
* Performance is optimised through internal caching of formatter instances

## Next steps

* Use standalone [`formatCutoff`](/docs/core/functions/formatting/format-cutoff) for use without a GT instance
* Format messages with [`formatMessage`](/docs/core/class/methods/formatting/format-message)
* Format numbers with [`formatNum`](/docs/core/class/methods/formatting/format-num)
* Learn about [locale properties](/docs/core/class/methods/locales/get-locale-properties)