An HTML Beautifier, also known as an HTML Formatter or HTML Prettifier, is a tool or software that reformats and restructures HTML code to make it more readable and easier to understand. Unlike HTML minification, which compresses the code to reduce file size, an HTML beautifier adds structure and enhances readability by reintroducing white spaces, indentations, and line breaks.
Here's what an HTML beautifier typically does:
- Adds Indentation: Properly indents nested elements to reflect the document structure, making it easier to see parent-child relationships.
- Introduces Line Breaks: Adds new lines between different HTML elements for better visual separation.
- Maintains Consistency: Ensures a consistent coding style throughout the HTML document, aiding in collaboration and debugging.
HTML beautifiers are commonly used in web development for code maintenance, troubleshooting, and collaboration. They can be standalone tools or integrated into code editors and integrated development environments (IDEs), allowing developers to automatically format HTML files according to consistent style guidelines. This is especially useful when working on complex projects or inheriting code from other developers.