Chapter 4
The code element can designate any sort of computer code. It’s not specific to any programming
language, so its contents could be HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Perl, C#, or any computer language
that needs to be distinguished from surrounding human-language content:
You can declare fonts in CSS with the font-family property.
The kbd element defines text or commands that the user should enter (usually by keyboard, though it
could be a voice or menu command), whereas the samp element illustrates sample output of a program or
script:
At the prompt, enter your username, henchman21,
and your password. If it’s accepted, the display will read
ACCESS GRANTED and the portal will activate.
The var element designates a programming variable or argument, or a variable in a mathematical
expression. You can also use var in normal prose to mark a placeholder term:
Something-Man, Something-Man,
does whatever a something can.
The code, kbd, and samp elements are frequently combined with the pre element to preserve the
formatting of their contents, as you can see in Listing 4-36.
Listing 4-36. A JavaScript function marked up with a code element
function helloWorld() {
var button = document.getElementById("button");
if (button) {
button.onclick = function(){
alert("Hello, World!");
}
}
}
To aid readability, most browsers display code, kbd, and samp elements in a monospace typeface—one in
which every character is the same width, such as Courier. The var element is usually rendered in an
italicized font. Figure 4-22 shows all the previous examples together.