Tab Character Instead of Multiple Non-Breaking Spaces ("nbsp")?
Preserve spaces and tabs in your HTML using CSS white-space: pre;
along with the ASCII tab character 	
, as an alternative to chains of
.
Efficient control with CSS
Generally, CSS should be your magic wand for managing text space. CSS offers methods such as padding-left
or margin-left
with relative units like em
providing scalable and efficient solutions.
CSS classes for indentation
Use custom CSS classes for different levels of indentation. This allows for precise control of your text structure, offering an efficient and easily maintainable solution.
Thin and en spaces
The HTML entities  
and  
are useful for tuning space width. Mastering these entities can give you extra precision in spacing, but ensure your charset is universally compatible.
Embracing the tab character
While the entity  
is a traditional equivalent to the 4-space tab character, remember that this representation can be inconsistent across different browsers as W3C does not specify tab stops.
Break free with zero-width spaces
Once in a while, you might need an invisible placeholder in your text. That’s when zero-width spaces come in handy, controlling line breaks seamlessly in your HTML.
Precision and control with CSS
With CSS properties like tab-size
, margin
, and padding
, you can simulate tab stops and achieve perfect alignment based on your design needs. CSS provides unmatched precision and control for spacing and offers customization that is as limitless as your creativity.
Pragmatic tabbing
Too much of one thing is never good, and the same is true for your HTML. Excessive use of
is as tedious for you as the person who must maintain your code. Settle for a CSS-first approach for a more pragmatic and maintainable solution.
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