Widow/Orphan Minimum Lines Rule
Audit both sides of an actual paragraph break against caller widow/orphan minima; avoids applying page-end labels to unsplit paragraphs, no universal publishing rule.
Description
Widow and orphan limits apply to opposite sides of an actual paragraph split.
Widow and orphan limits apply to opposite sides of an actual paragraph split. A paragraph wholly on one page needs different treatment.1
Enter safe-integer total, interior break count 1…total−1 and nonnegative integer minima. Return remaining lines, both violations and their combined pass flag.
When to use Widow/Orphan Minimum Lines Rule
Use Widow/Orphan Minimum Lines Rule when you need to evaluate the supplied records under the calculation and evidence rules below. No universal publishing rule, actual pagination or text layout is performed.
Prepare measured font or typeset-layout values and the explicit design policy requested. For text or font bytes, use the supported syntax explained below.
How to use Widow/Orphan Minimum Lines Rule and understand its results
- Prepare measured font or typeset-layout values and the explicit design policy requested. For text or font bytes, use the supported syntax explained below.
- Enter totalParagraphLines, linesBeforePageBreak, callerMinimumOrphanLines, callerMinimumWidowLines using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
- Read linesAfterPageBreak, orphanLimitViolation, widowLimitViolation, breakRespectsCallerPolicy. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
- If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.
| Input field | Meaning | Value type; see rules below | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| totalParagraphLines | Total paragraph lines | number | Required |
| linesBeforePageBreak | Lines before page break | number | Required |
| callerMinimumOrphanLines | Caller minimum orphan lines | number | Required |
| callerMinimumWidowLines | Caller minimum widow lines | number | Required |
Enter safe-integer total, interior break count 1…total−1 and nonnegative integer minima. Return remaining lines, both violations and their combined pass flag.
after=total−before; orphan=before<minimum; widow=after<minimum Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.
| Output field | Meaning | Value type |
|---|---|---|
| linesAfterPageBreak | Lines after page break | number |
| orphanLimitViolation | Orphan limit violation | boolean |
| widowLimitViolation | Widow limit violation | boolean |
| breakRespectsCallerPolicy | Break respects caller policy | boolean |
{
"input": {
"totalParagraphLines": 8,
"linesBeforePageBreak": 2,
"callerMinimumOrphanLines": 3,
"callerMinimumWidowLines": 2
},
"output": {
"linesAfterPageBreak": 6,
"orphanLimitViolation": true,
"widowLimitViolation": false,
"breakRespectsCallerPolicy": false
}
}Limitations and assumptions
No universal publishing rule, actual pagination or text layout is performed.
Numeric inputs, where present, must be finite. Follow the calculation-specific rules for overflow, underflow and exceptional cases. Missing required fields, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors. A successfully returned false flag is an evaluated outcome; its meaning is explained above.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use Widow Orphan Line Flag Checker: Paragraph fragments must be assessed using actual typeset line counts. This tool names a short first fragment orphan and a short last fragment widow. For a complementary task, use Baseline Grid Align Checker: A baseline grid has an origin and step. Residuals show how observed baselines depart from their nearest grid positions.
References
-
Widow/Orphan Minimum Lines Rule — tool.io
Similar or alternative tools
- Widow Orphan Line Flag Checker
Paragraph fragments must be assessed using actual typeset line counts. This tool names a short first fragment orphan and a short last fragment widow.
- Baseline Grid Align Checker
A baseline grid has an origin and step. Residuals show how observed baselines depart from their nearest grid positions.