CSS issue with nesting white-space: normal; inside parent of white-space: nowrap; - Parent no longer has correct width

Question

I'm trying to figure out why my parent element loses it's width when I do this? Please see my fiddle:

http://jsfiddle.net/ks3Qu/

HTML

        <h1>white-space: normal; on < a > tag breaks the ul's width but gives desired text effect.</h1>

        <div class="clear">
            <ul>
                <li><a class="no" href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="no"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
            </ul>
        </div>




        <h1>white-space: nowrap; is inherited from  < ul > tag to < a > tag now has full width of background (almost?) but loses desired text effect</h1>
        <div class="clear">
            <ul>
                <li><a class="yes" href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
                <li><a class="yes"  href="">This This This This This This This This This</a></li>
            </ul>
        </div>

CSS

    /* Universal */
    *, *:after, *:before { margin: 0; padding: 0; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none;  }
    * :focus { outline: 0; }

    /* Clear Fix*/
    .clear:before, .clear:after { content: " " !important; display: table !important; }
    .clear:after { clear: both !important; }
    .clear { *zoom: 1 !important; clear: both !important; }

    /* Normal Elements */
    h1 { margin: 2em 0 0; }
    div { width: auto; margin: 0 auto; }
    ul { float: left; white-space: nowrap; background: lime; } /* LIME background shows ul's width */
    li { display: inline-block; max-width: 10em; }

    /* Problem Elements */
    a.no { white-space: normal; } /* Normal breaks width */
    a.yes {  } /* Nowrap fixes ul width (almost?) */

Answer 1

In this case word-wrap: break-word; helps you you have very long code but its clear i understand your need this will help you. check this fiddle and refer this question moreover which is not a parent problem padding left right also clear it.

ul.lisits{
    width:100%;
    overflow:hidden;
}
ul.lisits > li{
    display:inline-block;
}
ul.lisits > li > a{
     word-wrap: break-word;
    overflow-wrap: break-word;
}

other thing is in case of fixed div or ul text-overflow:ellipsis and white-space:nowrap will help :)