How to Display HTML Code as Text in Your Web Pages

Discover how to display HTML code in your web pages without execution, using simple encoding tricks!
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How to Display Code in HTML Output without Execution

When working with HTML, it's common to want to present code snippets within your web page. However, you might encounter a problem: when you attempt to include HTML code directly, your browser executes it instead of displaying it as plain text. If you want to show your audience how your code looks (without executing it), you will need a way to escape the HTML characters. Let’s dive into how to effectively showcase your code.

The Challenge

Suppose you have the following JavaScript code that you want to display in your HTML page:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

If you just insert this snippet directly into your HTML, what happens? Instead of seeing the actual code, your browser interprets it, and the alert will pop up! Your goal is to show the code as text, not execute it.

Solution: Encoding Your HTML

To ensure that the code displays correctly, you need to replace certain characters with their HTML entity equivalents. This encoding tells the browser that you want to treat these characters as text, not as elements of HTML syntax.

Character Encoding

Here are the key characters you need to encode:

< becomes <

> becomes >

" becomes "

Using these encoded versions, your JavaScript code would look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Complete Example

Here’s how you would implement this in your HTML:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In this example:

We wrap our encoded string in <code> tags to semantically indicate that it is code.

The resulting output on the web page will safely show:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Additional Considerations

Accessibility: Ensure that any code displayed is accessible. Using the appropriate HTML elements can help screen readers interpret the content more effectively.

Conclusion

Displaying raw HTML code within a webpage is straightforward when you use character encoding to convert HTML symbols into safe text representations. By following the encoding rules mentioned in this post, you can effortlessly show your code snippets without executing them within the browser. Whether you're writing guides, guides, or showcasing projects, being able to present your code is a valuable skill.

Now you are equipped to share your HTML code snippets effectively without the fear of accidental execution! Enjoy coding and sharing your knowledge with others.