
HTML as text is a fundamental concept in web development, and understanding its basics is essential for building and maintaining websites.
HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is a markup language used to create web pages. It's a standard language used to define the structure and content of web pages.
To write HTML as text, you need to use HTML tags, which are surrounded by angle brackets. These tags are used to define different elements of a web page, such as headings, paragraphs, and links.
A basic HTML structure consists of a doctype declaration, an HTML tag, and a body tag.
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Displaying HTML Tags as Text
Displaying HTML tags as plain text can be achieved through various methods, including using plaintext elements and HTML entities. The most efficient method is to create a temporary DOM element and retrieve the text, but this requires JavaScript.
There are two main approaches to displaying HTML tags as plain text: using plaintext elements and HTML entities. The latter is recommended as it's more reliable and modern.
Here's a table summarizing the HTML entities for special characters:
Removing HTML Elements
You can remove HTML elements from text using the .replace method. This method is a simple and efficient way to remove the tags from the text, replacing HTML tag values with the empty string.
The /g flag is used for global replacement, ensuring that every value found in the string is replaced with the specified value. This method still works well if you have a simple HTML and want a quick conversion, but it can't remove some HTML entities.
This method is a good starting point, but keep in mind that it has its limitations. If you need more advanced features, you may want to consider using a dedicated library like the html-to-text NPM Package.
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Removing Text with Regex
Using the .replace() method with a regular expression is a simple and efficient way to remove HTML tags from text. This method uses the JavaScript string method .replace(old value, new value) which replaces the HTML tag values with the empty string.
Take a look at this: Http Post Html
The /g at the end of the regular expression is used to replace every value found in the string, not just the first one. This is a crucial detail to keep in mind when using this method.
The drawback of this method is that it can't remove some HTML entities, which can still be a problem in certain situations.
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Css and JavaScript
CSS and JavaScript are essential tools for adding dynamic functionality to your webpage. They work hand-in-hand with HTML to create a visually appealing and interactive website.
HTML should only be used to add text elements and structure them within a page, while CSS and JavaScript can add more complex features. CSS is used to specify information about how a webpage looks, such as colors and fonts.
To link a CSS file to your HTML, you can specify the file path at the top of the document. This allows you to separate information about how a page is structured from the information about how it looks when rendered in a browser.
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Class attributes are used to match HTML elements to their corresponding CSS or JavaScript elements. This makes it easy to apply styles and functions to multiple elements on your webpage.
For example, you can write code in the CSS file to turn text red, and then place the associated class attribute on all the pieces of text you want to be red in the HTML sheet. The same basic method applies to JavaScript sheets, with different functions.
For more insights, see: Html Color Red Text
HTML Entities and Syntax
To show reserved characters as plain text, use HTML entities. The ampersand (&) is used at the beginning of an entity, followed by the entity name or number, and ended with a semicolon.
HTML entities begin with the ‘&’ followed by ‘entity name’ or ‘entity number’ and end with the ‘;’ ie. &entity-name; or &entity-number;. This is the recommended way to display HTML tags as plain text.
Here's a list of some common HTML entities:
- < - Less than (start of HTML element)
- > - Greater than (end of HTML element)
- " - Double quotation
- & - Ampersand (beginning of HTML entity)
Special Character Entities
HTML entities are a crucial part of displaying reserved characters as plain text. They start with the ampersand (&) symbol and end with a semicolon (;).
The ampersand (&) symbol is used to begin an HTML entity, and it's often followed by an entity name or number. For example, the less-than sign (<) can be represented by the entity name < or the entity number <.
You can also use entity numbers to display reserved characters. In this example, we display the < character using the entity number <.
The less-than sign (<) is a reserved character that indicates the start of an HTML element. To display it as plain text, you can use the HTML entity <.
The greater-than sign (>) is another reserved character that indicates the end of an HTML element. You can display it as plain text using the HTML entity >.
Here is a list of some common HTML entities for special characters:
These are just a few examples of the many HTML entities available for displaying special characters. You can find a complete list of HTML entities with their numbers and names.
Consider reading: Javascript Replace Html Entities
Advantages and Considerations

Converting HTML to plain text is a useful strategy for storing and making code readable in any format. This is especially helpful when you need to analyze or edit code without the distraction of HTML tags.
One of the main advantages of using HTML is that it's relatively easy to learn. This is a big plus for beginners who want to get started with web development.
HTML has a clean and consistent source code, which makes it easy to read and understand. This is a major advantage over other coding languages that can be cluttered and hard to follow.
Here are some of the key pros of using HTML:
- Is widely adopted with a large amount of resources available.
- Is natively run on every browser.
- Is relatively easy to learn.
- Has a clean and consistent source code.
- Is open source and free to use.
- Can be integrated with other backend programming languages such as PHP.
Using NPM Package
The html-to-text package on NPM is a converter library that parses HTML and returns beautiful text. It comes with many options to convert it to plain text, including wordwrap, tags, whitespaceCharacters and formatters.
This package is particularly useful if you have complex HTML and want a high-quality conversion. It's also a good option if you need more control over the conversion process.
To use this package, you'll need to have Package.json, which allows you to download and use it.
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Pros and Cons

HTML is a great choice for building websites, and one of the main reasons is that it's widely adopted with a large amount of resources available.
Let's break down the pros and cons of using HTML to help you decide if it's the right choice for your project.
HTML has a clean and consistent source code, making it easy to read and understand.
This clean code also makes it easier to maintain and update your website over time.
HTML is relatively easy to learn, even for those with no prior experience in web development.
One of the biggest advantages of HTML is that it's open source and free to use, which means you can save money on licensing fees.
Here are some of the key benefits of using HTML:
- Wide adoption and resources available
- Natively run on every browser
- Relatively easy to learn
- Clean and consistent source code
- Open source and free to use
- Can be integrated with other backend programming languages such as PHP
Overall, the pros of using HTML make it a solid choice for building websites, but it's always a good idea to weigh these benefits against the potential drawbacks.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is &# 160 in HTML?
in HTML is a code that represents a single space character, allowing programmers to add spaces manually when needed. It's an alternative to using the non-breaking space (&NBSP;) code for adding spaces in HTML.
What is em ></ em?
The HTML element is used to add stress emphasis to text, making it stand out from regular text. It's a simple yet effective way to draw attention to important words or phrases on a webpage.
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