CODEWITHSUNDEEP
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Samson
Samson

Reputation: 2821

HTML - writing vs generating code

I've had the chance to work with very different types of frameworks for web development. Somehow I can see that every framework tries to avoid me writing pure HTML code.

For example Spring has it's own tags, Struts comes with it's own tags also Zend and Codeigniter (PHP) have form helpers.

Does this mean I shouldn't just write HTML code myself or that it's not recommended? SHould I be using them? because they don't seem that intuitive, easy to manage and time saving as they intend.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 250

Answers (4)

mihaisimi
mihaisimi

Reputation: 2009

I think it is a case by case basis.

These frameworks help you get rid of boilerplate code and write cleaner applications. You might also avoid some security problems by using them and you respect MVC.

There might be a performance penalty though so if you write a small application or you have certain requirements in speed you might be better without (some of) them.

Upvotes: 0

Brobina
Brobina

Reputation: 467

Generated code services I have used generate ugly code that is hard to sift through at a later date.

writing the code and HTML yourself makes for a better structure and will not effect the way its run if that is what you are worried about and these languages are set to a standard.

Recommendation is to write the code where you can and generate code in areas you dont (or learn how to code it before you attempt it in test sheets).

Upvotes: 0

Mateusz Rogulski
Mateusz Rogulski

Reputation: 7455

I suggest you to manage your code by yourself if you don't have VERY good tools for generate it (for example Razor in ASP.NET MVC) which can do your code cleaner and more intuitive. In your case if You use Zend i suggest you to write your html in normal sites and only use generator for forms with Zenf_form. Becouse it is great.

Upvotes: 0

Dai
Dai

Reputation: 155448

You need to write your own HTML (and CSS) to define the overall structure and layout of your website design. Don't confuse this with time-saving features that eliminate the need to write repetitive HTML, such as form inputs and navigation menu items.

For example, under ASP.NET MVC you still need to get the bulk of your HTML into a MasterViewPage or Razor Layout, but when it comes to writing all of the form inputs you just need to put <%= Html.TextBoxFor( m => m.FirstName ) and it handles the rest, which saves you the trouble of writing boilerplate HTML for the <input /> element. It also helps avoid bugs (if you forget a name="" or `id=""`` attribute, for example, but in some frameworks it's essential to get reliable round-trip form data working.

Upvotes: 1

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