Zen Coding - Super quick HTML!

24 November, 2009

• css
• design
• html

Ismail Koci

Category: Web Design

Wow, cool! A new tool is on the horizon for us designers / front end developers. An exciting tool! It's called Zen Coding, and basically what it does is dramatically speeds up the construction of HTML code by using CSS-like selector syntax.

You can see the demo at http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2oo9/11/21/zen-coding-a-new-way-to-write-html-code/

I was left very impressed after watching the demo, the handywork of a fellow front end developer named Sergey Chikuyonok. It seems to be something that will revolutionise the way we do our work, so of course if you do what I do, you should definitely go check it out.

Using what I can only describe as a combo of HTML and CSS shorthand, divs with IDs and multiple classes appear before your very eyes, lists with a specified number of LIs materialise from almost nothing, and tags are paired so you can always tell which div that pesky closing tag belongs to.

Loads of people are loving it, but there are also some that see it as adding complexity to a non-existent problem. Well, to me, even if it saves me 30 minutes on a 30 hour project, then it has achieved its goals, and made me a happy camper. So bring it on down town I say, I can't wait to try a finished version!