Emmet (software)
Emmet (formerly Zen Coding[1]) is a set of plug-ins for text editors that allow for high-speed coding and editing in HTML, XML, XSL, and other structured code formats via content assist. The project was started by Vadim Makeev in 2008[2] and continues to be actively developed by Sergey Chikuyonok and Emmet users. Since 2015 Mikael Geletsyan[3] is responsible for UX at Emmet. The tools have been incorporated into several popular text editors, as well as some plug-ins developed by the Emmet team and others implemented independently. However, Emmet is primarily independent from any text editor, as the engine works directly with text rather than with any particular software.[4]
Emmet is open sourced under the MIT License.
Name
Emmet is a word that originally meant ant, a small insect that can carry over 50 times of its weight. This word is also similar to "emit," which is basically what Emmet does when it expands abbreviations.
Functions
Expand abbreviations
Emmet uses a specific syntax in order to expand small snippets of code, similar to CSS selectors, into full-fledged HTML code.[5] For example, the sequence
div#page>div.logo+ul#navigation>li*5>a
or
#page>.logo+ul#navigation>li*5>a
expands into
<div id="page">
<div class="logo"></div>
<ul id="navigation">
<li><a href=""></a></li>
<li><a href=""></a></li>
<li><a href=""></a></li>
<li><a href=""></a></li>
<li><a href=""></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
The expand abbreviations function includes several other complex functions, such as wrapping a section of code with expanded code.[6]
Tag balancing
The HTML Pair Matcher allows users to locate the matching open/close tag for the tag at the current cursor position. Unlike other HTML pair matchers, Emmet searches from the cursor's current position rather than scanning the document from the beginning.[7]
Text editors
The plug-ins for following text editors were developed by the Emmet team
- Aptana/Eclipse (cross-platform).
- Notepad++ (Windows)
- NetBeans (cross-platform)
- TextMate (Mac)
- Coda (Mac)
- Komodo Edit/IDE (cross-platform)
- PSPad (Windows)
- <textarea> (browser-based)
- Bluefish (Linux/Windows/Mac)
- Brackets (cross-platform)
The following text-editor plug-ins were developed by third-party groups with the official Emmet engine
- Atom (cross-platform)
- Dreamweaver (Windows, Mac)
- Sublime Text (cross-platform)
- Visual Studio (Windows)
- Visual Studio Code (cross-platform)
- gedit (cross-platform)
- AkelPad (Windows)
- UltraEdit (Windows)
- TopStyle (Windows)
- BBEdit/TextWrangler (Mac)
- EmEditor (Windows)
The following text editor plug-ins were developed independently and with a different Emmet engine
- Emacs (cross-platform)
- IntelliJ IDEA/WebStorm/PhpStorm (cross-platform)
- RJ TextEd (Windows)
- Tincta Pro (Mac)
- Vim (cross-platform)
References
- ^ Rocha, Zeno (March 26, 2013). "Goodbye, Zen Coding. Hello, Emmet!". Smashing Magazine. Smashing Magazine GmbH. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- ^ "Zen HTML — Пепелсбей.net". pepelsbey.net.
- ^ "Credits". emmet.io. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
- ^ "Zen Coding: A Speedy Way To Write HTML/CSS Code". 21 November 2009.
- ^ "The Art of zen-coding: Bringing Snippets to a New Level". mondaybynoon.com.
- ^ "If you code HTML, Zen Coding will change your life". 22 January 2013. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013.
- ^ "Zen Coding: A Speedy Way To Write HTML/CSS Code". 21 November 2009.