prettifiers

A prettifier is a tool or technique used to improve the readability and aesthetic appeal of text or code. In the context of programming, prettifiers, often referred to as formatters or beautifiers, automatically reformat source code to conform to a consistent style. This includes standardizing indentation, spacing, line breaks, and bracket placement. The primary goal of code prettifiers is to enhance maintainability and collaboration by ensuring that all code within a project looks uniform, regardless of who wrote it. Many integrated development environments (IDEs) and code editors come with built-in prettifiers, and standalone command-line tools are also widely available for various programming languages.

Beyond code, the term "prettifier" can also refer to tools that enhance the visual presentation of other types of text. This might involve adding formatting like bullet points, bolding, or italics to plain text to make it more engaging or easier to scan. For example, in content management systems or markup languages, features that automatically format text into presentable layouts can be considered a form of prettifying. The underlying principle remains the same: to transform raw or unformatted content into a more polished and user-friendly format. The effectiveness of a prettifier often depends on its configurability, allowing users to define their preferred styling rules.