Top 5 JavaScript Libraries for Styling Java and Python Code on an HTML Blog with Syntax Highlighting

Improving the Syntax Highlighting of JavaScript in Visual Studio

When creating an HTML blog that features Java and Python code, incorporating syntax highlighting is crucial for enhancing readability and improving the overall user experience. Syntax highlighting differentiates various elements of the code, such as keywords, variables, and functions, through distinct colors and styles, making the code easier to understand and follow. Several JavaScript libraries excel at this task, each offering a unique set of features, advantages, and disadvantages. Below is a comprehensive ranking of the top five JavaScript libraries suitable for styling Java and Python code on an HTML blog, complete with detailed explanations, features, pros and cons, compatibility, installation steps, and usage examples.

1. Highlight.js

Highlight.js is a widely adopted and highly regarded syntax highlighting library known for its extensive language support, ease of use, and automatic language detection. It is a popular choice among developers and technical bloggers due to its robust features and active community support.

Features

Extensive Language Support: Highlight.js supports over 190 programming languages, including Java and Python, ensuring comprehensive coverage for most coding needs.
Automatic Language Detection: This feature automatically identifies the programming language used in a code block, simplifying the implementation process as there's no need to specify the language manually.
Rich Theme Selection: With more than 240 color themes available, Highlight.js offers extensive customization options to match the aesthetic of any blog.
Zero Dependencies: Highlight.js is self-contained and does not rely on any external libraries, making it secure and reliable.
Framework Compatibility: It works seamlessly with popular JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue.js, providing flexibility for various web development projects.
Manual Highlighting: Allows for manual highlighting of specific code blocks, offering granular control over the styling.

Pros

Ease of Use: Highlight.js is straightforward to set up and use, making it accessible even for beginners.
Wide Adoption: Being widely used and actively maintained, it benefits from continuous updates and a strong community, ensuring reliability and support.
Server-Side Independence: It can be integrated into HTML blogs without requiring any server-side processing, simplifying deployment.

Cons

Bulkiness: While highly customizable, it can be considered bulky for very simple use cases where only basic highlighting is needed.
Default Themes: Some users find the default themes less visually appealing compared to those offered by other libraries.

Compatibility with HTML Blogs

Highlight.js is designed to work seamlessly with HTML blogs. It scans the webpage for code blocks marked up inside <pre><code> tags or with the language defined explicitly in the class attribute and applies syntax highlighting accordingly. This makes it ideal for both static and dynamic websites.

Installation Steps

Integrating Highlight.js into an HTML blog is straightforward:

Include the Highlight.js CSS and JavaScript files in the <head> section of your HTML document. You can use a CDN (Content Delivery Network) for easy access: html  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/highlight.js/11.8.0/styles/default.min.css"> <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/highlight.js/11.8.0/highlight.min.js"></script>
Initialize Highlight.js by adding a script tag at the end of your HTML body or within a DOMContentLoaded event listener: html  <script> hljs.highlightAll(); </script>

Usage Example

To use Highlight.js, wrap your code blocks in <pre><code> tags. You can specify the language using the class attribute, although it's optional due to the automatic language detection feature.

Java Example:

html
<pre><code class="language-java">
public class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, World!");
    }
}
</code></pre>

Python Example:

html
<pre><code class="language-python">
def greet(name):
    print(f"Hello, {name}!")

greet("World")
</code></pre>

Source: Highlight.js Official Documentation

2. Prism.js

Prism.js is another highly popular syntax highlighting library known for its lightweight nature, extensibility, and focus on modern web standards. It is widely used by technical blogs and websites, including CSS-Tricks and Smashing Magazine, due to its performance and ease of customization.

Features

Lightweight Core: Prism.js has a very small core (only 2KB minified and gzipped), making it fast and efficient.
Extensibility: It supports a wide range of plugins that add functionalities like line numbers, code folding, and highlighting specific lines.
Wide Language Support: Prism.js supports numerous programming languages, including Java and Python.
Customizable Themes: It includes several built-in themes and allows for the creation of custom themes, providing flexibility in matching the blog's design.
CSS-Based Styling: All styling is handled via CSS, making it easy to customize the appearance of code blocks.
Accessibility: Designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring proper contrast and readability for all users.

Pros

Performance: Being lightweight and fast, Prism.js ensures minimal impact on page load times.
Customization: Highly extensible with plugins and easy to style using CSS.
Community Support: It has an active community and excellent documentation, making it easy to find support and resources.

Cons

Manual Language Definition: Unlike Highlight.js, Prism.js requires manual specification of the programming language for each code block.
Smaller Community: Compared to Highlight.js, Prism.js has a smaller community, although it is still well-supported.

Compatibility with HTML Blogs

Prism.js is highly compatible with HTML blogs and works well with both static and dynamic websites. It emphasizes the use of correct HTML elements (<code> for inline code and <pre> for blocks), which aligns with web development best practices and is beneficial for accessibility and SEO.

Installation Steps

Integrating Prism.js into an HTML blog involves the following steps:

Include the Prism.js CSS and JavaScript files in the <head> section of your HTML document. You can use a CDN for easy access: html  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.29.0/themes/prism.min.css"> <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.29.0/prism.min.js"></script> <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.29.0/components/prism-java.min.js"></script> <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.29.0/components/prism-python.min.js"></script>
Wrap your code blocks in <pre><code> tags and specify the language using the class attribute in the <code> tag: html <pre><code class="language-java"> public class HelloWorld { public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("Hello, World!"); } } </code></pre>

Usage Example

To use Prism.js, you need to wrap your code blocks in <pre><code> tags and specify the language using the class attribute.

Java Example:

html
<pre><code class="language-java">
public class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, World!");
    }
}
</code></pre>

Python Example:

html
<pre><code class="language-python">
def greet(name):
    print(f"Hello, {name}!")

greet("World")
</code></pre>

Source: Prism.js Official Documentation

3. Shiki

Shiki is a modern syntax highlighter that leverages TextMate grammars, the same engine used by VS Code, to provide highly accurate and consistent syntax highlighting. It is an excellent choice for developers who prioritize accuracy and want their code to be rendered exactly as it appears in their code editor.

Features

TextMate Grammar: Utilizes TextMate grammars for precise and consistent syntax highlighting, ensuring that code is rendered accurately.
Zero JavaScript Runtime: Shiki runs ahead of time and does not require any JavaScript at runtime, making it extremely lightweight and fast.
Tree-Shakable ESM: Compatible with any JavaScript runtime, including Node.js and Cloudflare Workers, and supports tree-shaking to reduce bundle size.
VS Code Themes: Supports a wide range of popular VS Code themes, allowing for seamless integration with the look and feel of your favorite code editor.
Language Support: Supports a wide array of programming languages, including Java and Python.

Pros

Accuracy: Provides extremely accurate syntax highlighting due to its use of TextMate grammars.
Performance: With no runtime JavaScript, Shiki ensures minimal impact on page load times and excellent performance.
Server-Side Rendering: Ideal for server-side rendering, making it suitable for static site generators and performance-critical applications.

Cons

Build Step Required: Requires a build step for static blogs, which can add complexity to the development process.
Smaller Community: Compared to Highlight.js and Prism.js, Shiki has a smaller community, which may result in fewer resources and less support.

Compatibility with HTML Blogs

Shiki is particularly well-suited for static site generators like Gatsby and Next.js. While it can be used in traditional HTML blogs, it requires pre-generating the highlighted code during the build process, which adds an extra step compared to client-side libraries like Highlight.js and Prism.js.

Installation Steps

Integrating Shiki into a project typically involves the following steps:

Install Shiki via npm: bash npm install shiki
Use Shiki in your build process to generate highlighted HTML: javascript const shiki = require('shiki'); shiki.getHighlighter({ theme: 'nord' }).then(highlighter => { const html = highlighter.codeToHtml('public class HelloWorld {\n public static void main(String[] args) {\n System.out.println("Hello, World!");\n }\n}', { lang: 'java' }); console.log(html); });

Usage Example

For HTML blogs, you would typically use Shiki to pre-generate the highlighted code during the build process and then include the resulting HTML in your pages. This approach ensures that no JavaScript is required at runtime, improving performance.

Example of pre-generated HTML (Java):

html
<pre class="shiki" style="background-color: #2e3440"><code>
<span class="line"><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">public class </span><span style="color: #81A1C1">HelloWorld</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF"> {</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">    public static void </span><span style="color: #81A1C1">main</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">(</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9">String</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">[] args) {</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">        </span><span style="color: #81A1C1">System</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">.</span><span style="color: #81A1C1">out</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">.</span><span style="color: #81A1C1">println</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">(</span><span style="color: #A3BE8C">"Hello, World!"</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">);</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">    }</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">}</span></span>
</code></pre>

Example of pre-generated HTML (Python):

html
<pre class="shiki" style="background-color: #2e3440"><code>
<span class="line"><span style="color: #81A1C1">def</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF"> </span><span style="color: #88C0D0">greet</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">(</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9">name</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">):</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">    </span><span style="color: #81A1C1">print</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">(</span><span style="color: #8FBCBB">f</span><span style="color: #A3BE8C">"Hello, {</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9">name</span><span style="color: #A3BE8C">}!"</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">)</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF"></span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color: #88C0D0">greet</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">(</span><span style="color: #A3BE8C">"World"</span><span style="color: #D8DEE9FF">)</span></span>
</code></pre>

Source: Shiki GitHub Repository

4. Microlight.js

Microlight.js is an extremely lightweight and minimalistic syntax highlighting library that focuses on simplicity and performance. It is an ideal choice for small projects or performance-critical applications where a full-featured library like Highlight.js or Prism.js might be overkill.

Features

Ultra-Lightweight: Microlight.js is incredibly small, with a size of approximately 2.2KB, making it one of the most lightweight syntax highlighters available.
Language-Agnostic: It does not require specifying the programming language, simplifying its usage.
Colorless Highlighting: Instead of using color themes, Microlight.js alters the font's look and feel, providing a unique approach to highlighting.
No Additional CSS: It does not ship with additional CSS, ensuring that it matches the overall design of the webpage without requiring extra styling.

Pros

Performance: Its extremely small size ensures minimal impact on page load times and excellent performance.
Simplicity: Easy to use without the need to specify languages, making it straightforward to integrate.
Design Consistency: By not using color themes, it ensures consistency with the webpage's design.

Cons

Limited Customization: The lack of color themes and limited customization options may not appeal to everyone.
Less Adoption: Not as widely adopted or maintained as other libraries like Highlight.js or Prism.js, which may result in fewer resources and less support.

Compatibility with HTML Blogs

Microlight.js is compatible with HTML blogs and can be easily integrated. However, its minimalistic approach and lack of color themes might not be suitable for all use cases. It is best suited for blogs where simplicity and performance are the top priorities.

Installation Steps

Integrating Microlight.js into an HTML blog is very straightforward:

Include the Microlight.js script in the <head> section of your HTML document. You can use a CDN for easy access: html  <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/microlight/0.4.2/microlight.min.js"></script>
Initialize Microlight.js by adding a script tag at the end of your HTML body or within a DOMContentLoaded event listener: html  <script> microlight.init(); </script>

Usage Example

To use Microlight.js, simply wrap your code blocks in <pre><code> tags. There is no need to specify the language.

Java Example:

html
<pre><code>
public class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, World!");
    }
}
</code></pre>

Python Example:

html
<pre><code>
def greet(name):
    print(f"Hello, {name}!")

greet("World")
</code></pre>

Source: LogRocket Blog - Exploring the best syntax highlighting libraries

5. gatsby-remark-vscode

gatsby-remark-vscode is a plugin specifically designed for Gatsby, a popular static site generator built on React. It leverages VS Code's syntax highlighting engine to provide accurate and visually appealing code rendering. This plugin is an excellent choice for developers using Gatsby to build their blogs and want to ensure high-quality syntax highlighting.

Features

VS Code Integration: Uses VS Code's syntax highlighting engine for accurate and consistent rendering.
Multi-Theme Support: Supports multiple themes, including dark mode, allowing for customization to match the blog's design.
Line Highlighting: Allows for highlighting specific lines and diff highlighting, making it easier to draw attention to important parts of the code.
Customizable: Offers options to tweak or replace theme colors, providing flexibility in styling.
Inline Code Highlighting: Supports inline code highlighting, enhancing the readability of code snippets within text.

Pros

Accuracy: Provides the same level of syntax highlighting as Visual Studio Code, ensuring high accuracy and consistency.
Gatsby Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Gatsby, making it easy to use for Gatsby-based blogs.
Customization: Highly customizable with support for multiple themes and line highlighting.

Cons

Gatsby Dependency: Requires a Gatsby setup, making it less suitable for non-Gatsby blogs.
Complexity: Slightly more complex to configure compared to client-side libraries like Highlight.js and Prism.js.

Compatibility with HTML Blogs

gatsby-remark-vscode is specifically designed for blogs built with Gatsby. It is not a standalone library but a Gatsby plugin, so it is not suitable for traditional HTML blogs that do not use Gatsby.

Installation Steps

Integrating gatsby-remark-vscode into a Gatsby blog involves the following steps:

Install the plugin via npm: bash npm install gatsby-remark-vscode
Configure the plugin in your gatsby-config.js file: javascript module.exports = { plugins: [ { resolve: `gatsby-transformer-remark`, options: { plugins: [ { resolve: `gatsby-remark-vscode`, options: { theme: 'Dark+ (default dark)', // Example theme }, }, ], }, }, ], };

Usage Example

Once configured, gatsby-remark-vscode will automatically highlight code blocks in your Markdown files. You can use standard Markdown code fences to define code blocks.

Java Example:

java public class HelloWorld { public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("Hello, World!"); } } ```

Python Example:

```python def greet(name): print(f"Hello, {name}!") greet("World") ```

Source: Gatsby Plugin Documentation

Conclusion

Selecting the right syntax highlighting library for your HTML blog depends on your specific needs and technical setup. Highlight.js stands out as the most versatile and widely used option, offering excellent language support, automatic language detection, and ease of use. Prism.js is ideal for developers seeking a lightweight solution with extensive plugin support and customization options. Shiki provides unparalleled accuracy by leveraging VS Code's engine but requires a build step, making it suitable for static site generators. Microlight.js is perfect for minimalistic setups where performance is critical, while gatsby-remark-vscode offers seamless integration and high-quality highlighting for Gatsby-based blogs.

Each of these libraries has its strengths and weaknesses, so it's essential to evaluate them based on your blog's requirements, technical constraints, and personal preferences. By carefully considering factors such as language support, customizability, performance, compatibility, and community support, you can make an informed decision that enhances the readability and visual appeal of your code snippets, ultimately providing a better experience for your readers.