---
title: "lineBreakByHyphenating(before:within:)"
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "foundation/nsattributedstring/linebreakbyhyphenating(before:within:)"
---

# lineBreakByHyphenating(before:within:)

Returns the index of the closest character before the specified index, and within the specified range, that can fit on a new line by hyphenating.

## Declaration

```swift
func lineBreakByHyphenating(before location: Int, within aRange: NSRange) -> Int
```

## Parameters

- `location`: The location in the attributed string.
- `aRange`: The range.

## Return Value

Return Value Returns the index of the closest character before  index within aRange, that can be placed on a new line by hyphenating. Returns NSNotFound if no line break by hyphenation is possible before index.

## Discussion

Discussion In other words, during text layout, finds the appropriate line break by hyphenation (the character index at which the hyphen glyph should be inserted) when the character at index won’t fit on the same line as the character at the beginning of aRange. Raises an rangeException if index or any part of aRange lies beyond the end of the receiver’s characters.

## See Also

### Calculating linguistic units

- [doubleClick(at:)](foundation/nsattributedstring/doubleclick(at:).md)
- [lineBreak(before:within:)](foundation/nsattributedstring/linebreak(before:within:).md)
- [nextWord(from:forward:)](foundation/nsattributedstring/nextword(from:forward:).md)