If you’re building a webpage and need to share some code — maybe a snippet of HTML, a line of Python, or just some geeky text—typing it straight into a <p> tag can get weird. The browser might try to run it instead of showing it, or it’ll mash the spacing. That’s where HTML’s computer code tags swoop in to save the day. They’re built to handle code like champs, and they’re easy to pick up.

First up is the <code> tag. It’s for short bits — like a single line or a word. Wrap it around your text, and it’ll look all techy:

In the browser, “print("Hello")” gets a monospace font—think typewriter style—so it stands out as code.

But what about bigger chunks? That’s where <pre> comes in. It keeps all your spaces and line breaks exactly as you typed them. Pair it with <code> for the win:

Load that up, and the whole block stays formatted — indentations and all — just like you wrote it. Without <pre>, it’d collapse into a sad, flat line. I’ve tried skipping it before, and trust me, it’s not pretty.

There’s also <kbd> for keyboard inputs, like <kbd>Ctrl + S</kbd>, which shows as Ctrl + S — great for tutorials. And <samp> is for sample output, like <samp>Error 404</samp>. I don’t use those as much, but they’re handy when you’re showing off a full coding story.

Here’s a real-world combo I’ve played with:

Notice the &lt; instead of <? That’s an entity code so the <p> displays as text, not a tag. Took me a minute to figure that out the first time!

These tags are gold if you’re making a blog or a guide — like this one. They keep your code readable and professional. Next time you’re coding, toss in a <code> or <pre> and see how it cleans things up. It’s like giving your snippets a cozy little frame!