why does firefox wrap on non breaking spaces?

[ashman]

I have the following HTML output, note the &nbsp between the link and the image:

<td><a href="javascript:__doPostBack('GrdProducts$_ctl2$_ctl4','')">Dlvry</a>&nbsp;<img src=images/sort_asc.gif width=8 height=9 align=absmiddle><br></td>

I have always understood nbsp to stand for non-breaking-space. Correct?

So why would firefox 1.0.4 render the image below the text? I don't care that the column width may not be wide enough to fit the image - it should still adhere to my instruction to place the image on the same line! Surely?

Can anyone shed some light on this?

[rocknbil]

<td nowrap>

:-)

It is confusing. &nbsp; does indeed mean non-breaking space, but that's not what it does. As you know browsers collapse white space, a dozen white spaces equals one in display. But &nbsp; forces whitespaces, so &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; forces three white spaces.

[treeline]

Non-breaking space translates as non-collapsing space.
It does not mean no-line-return-now space.

Since the nbsp won't shrink, and the image plus the nbsp doesn't fit side-by-side in the column you are forcing them onto seperate lines.

Don't confuse line-break with space-break!

[ashman]

Thanks for the clarification. I was used to the way IE handled it, and assumed that was the correct way :(

[CritterNYC]

Thanks for the clarification. I was used to the way IE handled it, and assumed that was the correct way :(

With differences, it is usually safe to assume that IE is handling it the incorrect way. ;)