HTML <pre> tag
Definition and Usage
The pre element defines preformatted text. The text enclosed in the pre
element usually preserves spaces and line breaks. The text renders in a fixed-pitch
font.
Differences Between HTML and XHTML
The "width" attribute of the pre element was deprecated in HTML 4.01.
The "width" attribute of the pre element is not supported in XHTML 1.0 Strict DTD.
Note on <pre>
It is worth noting that while <xmp> is deprecated, the <pre>
tag does not perform all of the functions of <xmp>:
<pre><b>Hello</b></pre> displays Hello
<xmp><b>Hello</b></xmp> displays <b>Hello</b>
Example
| Source |
Output |
<pre>
This text is
in a fixed-pitch
font, and it preserves
both
spaces and
line
breaks
</pre> |
This text is
in a fixed-pitch
font, and it preserves
both spaces and
line breaks
|
Optional Attributes
DTD indicates in which DTD the attribute is
allowed. S=Strict, T=Transitional, and F=Frameset.
| Attribute |
Value |
Description |
DTD |
| width |
number |
Defines the maximum number of characters per line (usually
40, 80, or 132) |
TF |
Standard Attributes
| id, class, title, style, dir, lang, xml:lang, xml:space |
For a full description, go to Standard
Attributes.
Event Attributes
| onclick, ondblclick, onmousedown, onmouseup, onmouseover, onmousemove, onmouseout, onkeypress, onkeydown, onkeyup |
For a full description, go to Event Attributes.
Try-It-Yourself Demos
Preformatted text
How to control line breaks and spaces with the pre tag.
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