def short_text(text, maxlength=200, endwith='...'):
    """
    Returns a shortened version of text up to maxlength long (not counting ending characters), breaking only on spaces to avoid weird looking summaries,
    and ending with endwith (default ellipsis written out with periods).

    >>> short_text('ab cd ef gh', 9)
    'ab cd...'
    >>> short_text('ab cd', 5)
    'ab cd'
    >>> short_text('ab cd ef gh', 9, ':')
    'ab cd ef:'
    """

    if len(text) <= maxlength:
        return text
    return text[:maxlength - len(endwith) + 1].rpartition(' ')[0] + endwith

@register.filter('short_text')
def short_text(text, length, autoescape=None):
    """
    makes short_text, breaking on words, length in characters rather than words like truncatewords

    >>> short_text('some excessively long string', 21)
    'some excessively...'
    >>> short_text('some excessively long string', 16) #don't forget the '...' counts!
    'some...'

    """
    return short_text(text, length)
short_text.needs_autoescape = True