HTML Computercode

What Does HTML Code Mean?

In HTML, “code” refers to any programming snippet or example you want to show on your webpage. It could be a line of JavaScript, a CSS rule, or even a piece of markup. The key is that HTML offers a way to display these snippets so that the browser doesn’t try to interpret them, but instead shows them exactly as they are.

How to Display Code in HTML

There are a few tags in HTML that are specifically designed to display code. These help make your code snippets stand out and appear in a way that’s easy to read.

The <code> Tag

The <code> tag is used for small bits of code that you want to display inline, like a function name or a variable. For example:

<p>Use the <code>console.log()</code> method to print output to the console.</p>

In this case, the console.log() method will appear as code within the sentence. This is useful when you need to mention code in a paragraph but don’t want it to disrupt the flow of the text.

The <pre> Tag

For larger chunks of code, like a function or block of code that spans multiple lines, you should use the <pre> tag. This tag is special because it maintains the formatting of the code, including spaces, line breaks, and indentation.

For example:

<pre>
function greet() {
    console.log('Hello, world!');
}
</pre>

In this example, the <pre> tag ensures that the code keeps its original indentation and formatting, making it easier to read. This tag is particularly helpful for displaying code that’s multiple lines long.

Combining <pre> and <code>

If you want to display a large block of code and also make sure it’s clearly identified as code, you can use both the <pre> and <code> tags together. This is useful for ensuring both formatting and clarity.

Here’s an example:

<pre><code>
function add(a, b) {
    return a + b;
}
</code></pre>

Using both tags here ensures the code stays formatted properly while also signaling to the browser (and the user) that this is code. It’s a good practice when you need to show a bigger chunk of code, like a function or a script.

Styling Your Code with CSS

While the default browser styling for the <code> and <pre> tags already applies a monospaced font (which is ideal for code), you might want to add your own custom styles to make it look even better. CSS can help you add things like backgrounds, borders, and padding.

For example:

<style>
    pre {
        background-color: #fafafa;
        border: 1px solid #ccc;
        padding: 15px;
    }

    code {
        color: #d14;
        font-family: 'Courier New', monospace;
    }
</style>

<pre><code>
function multiply(x, y) {
    return x * y;
}
</code></pre>

In this example, the <pre> tag has a light background color and padding around the code, making it more visually appealing. The <code> tag has a custom color to make it stand out.

Using Syntax Highlighting

If you want your code to be even easier to read, you can add syntax highlighting. This feature colors different parts of the code, like keywords, strings, and variables, to make them easier to distinguish. While HTML doesn’t provide syntax highlighting by default, you can use JavaScript libraries like Prism.js or Highlight.js.

Here’s how you could add Prism.js for syntax highlighting:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.23.0/themes/prism.min.css" />
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.23.0/prism.min.js"></script>

<pre><code class="language-javascript">
function subtract(a, b) {
    return a - b;
}
</code></pre>

By linking to Prism.js and including the proper class (language-javascript), the code will be highlighted automatically.