--- sidebar_position: 10 --- import Playground from '@site/src/components/Playground'; # Layout Direction Layout direction specifies the direction in which children and text in a hierarchy should be laid out. Layout direction also effects what edge `start` and `end` refer to. By default Yoga lays out with left-to-right (LTR) layout direction. In this mode `start` refers to `left` and `end` refers to `right`. When localizing your apps for markets with right-to-left (RTL) languages you should customize this by either by passing a direction to the [CalculateLayout](/docs/getting-started/laying-out-a-tree) call or by setting the direction on the root node. **LTR (default)**: Text and children and laid out from left to right. Styles applied the start of an element are applied on the left side. **RTL**: Text and children and laid out from right to left. Styles applied the start of an element are applied on the right side. `} />