HTML Formatter
Professional-grade HTML beautifier and minifier. Features intelligent indentation, deep nesting support, file processing, and robust syntax handling for developers.
About
In the ecosystem of Web Development, code readability is not merely an aesthetic preference - it is a functional necessity. Unformatted HTML, often resulting from minification pipelines or legacy CMS exports, creates significant friction in debugging and maintenance workflows. This tool utilizes a Context-Free Grammar parsing approach to reconstruct the semantic hierarchy of HTML documents.
Standard text editors often fail to handle deep nesting or mixed content types (HTML/CSS/JS) correctly. This engine applies deterministic rules to distinct node types - distinguishing between Void Elements (e.g., br, img) and Container Elements - to ensure that semantic structure is visually preserved without altering the execution logic. It addresses the critical edge case of Whitespace Sensitivity in inline-block elements, a common pitfall in automated formatters.
Formulas
The formatter operates on a recursive depth-tracking algorithm. Let S be the input string and T be the set of tokens generated by the lexer.
The complexity of the tokenization process is generally linear, O(N), where N is the character length of the input. However, the DOM reconstruction for validation simulates a stack operation:
k∑i=0 depth(ti) ≈ 0 for balanced HTML
Where t represents tags. If the sum deviates significantly, the tool attempts heuristic auto-closure or highlights the discrepancy.
Reference Data
| Category | Element Type | Formatting Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Void Elements | Empty | No closing tag; typically inline or block-level depending on context. Self-closing syntax preserved. | <area>, <base>, <br>, <col>, <embed>, <hr>, <img>, <input>, <link>, <meta>, <param>, <source>, <track>, <wbr> |
| Block Elements | Container | Forces new line before opening and after closing. Increases indentation depth for children. | <div>, <p>, <section>, <article>, <nav>, <aside>, <header>, <footer>, <table>, <ul>, <form> |
| Inline Elements | Text-Flow | Does not force new lines to preserve whitespace rendering. Indented only if strictly necessary or wrapped. | <span>, <a>, <strong>, <em>, <i>, <b>, <label>, <code>, <var> |
| Raw Text Elements | Literal | Content is preserved exactly as-is (whitespace sensitive). formatting disabled inside. | <script>, <style>, <pre>, <textarea> |
Frequently Asked Questions
. Content inside these tags is treated as immutable literals during the HTML formatting pass to prevent syntax errors in your scripts or stylesheets.