Download format-html-10.hqx (66,988 KB)
From: chad@halcyon.com (Chad Magendanz)
Subject: Format HTML
Format HTML was created for two basic purposes:
1. To display Web pages generated with PageMill in readable form:
I'm a big fan of PageMill. It provides a means of generating very simple
Web pages with almost instant gratification. However, it's rare that I'm
completely satisfied with the results of my Web page after its initial
conception in PageMill. I usually wish to add some more complex structures
(like tables) and find myself back in BBEdit flirting with HTML tags in
their native form. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done.
PageMill doesn't lay out the HTML in any particular format, frequently
squishing them all together in a mass of tags that are difficult for humans
to interpret.
Format HTML was designed to quickly fix this problem, breaking down HTML
tags into individual lines and indenting them in a programmatic style that
is easier to read and understand. The utility makes a great addition to
Lindsay Davies' HTML Tools, complementing the PageMill Cleaner utility.
When importing HTML from PageMill to BBEdit, I first use PageMill Cleaner,
then Format HTML to set things right.
2. To assist Web authors in debugging their HTML:
The Check HTML command in HTML Tools is a probably the most useful element
of BBEdit's Web authoring environment. Like the best compilers, BBEdit
displays which tags are likely to be problems and suggests a reasonable
cause. Frequently, the solution is obvious, but for those cases where it's
not, Format HTML can be a valuable tool. Just running your HTML through
Format HTML will tell you whether you have balanced all of your HTML tags
and quickly indicate when a tag block has not been closed properly.
Installation
Install Format HTML by decompressing the StuffIt archive and dragging the
BBEdit Extension to your BBEdit Extension folder. If you have Lindsay
Davies' HTML Tools installed, you will probably want to place Format HTML
in the Misc folder with PageMill Cleaner. In either case, the new Format
HTML command should be available from the Extensions menu the next time you
launch BBEdit.
System Requirements
Format HTML requires BBEdit version 3.5 or later. BBEdit Lite will *not*
suffice. For more information on BBEdit, check out the BBEdit Web site at
www.barebones.com.