---
id: html-computercode
title: "HTML Computercode"
category: "Frontend"
status: "draft"
verification_status: "conceptual"
canonical_id: ""
aliases: ["computer code elements", "kbd element", "samp element", "code element", "var element", "pre element", "keyboard input"]
duplicate_of: ""
source_trust_level: "B"
confidence_score: 0.90
created_at: 2026-06-23
updated_at: 2026-06-23
review_reason: ""
merge_history: []
tags: ["html", "web", "frontend", "w3schools", "code", "semantic"]
raw_sources: ["https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_computercode_elements.asp"]
applied_in: []
github_commit: ""
---

# [[HTML Computercode]]

## 🎯 한 줄 통찰 (One-line insight)
HTML provides several semantic elements for marking up user input and computer code — `<kbd>`, `<samp>`, `<code>`, `<var>`, and `<pre>` — most of which render in the browser's default monospace font. [S1]

## 🧠 핵심 개념 (Core concepts)
- **`<kbd>`** — defines keyboard input; content is displayed in the browser's default monospace font. [S1]
- **`<samp>`** — defines sample output from a computer program; displayed in monospace. [S1]
- **`<code>`** — defines a piece of computer code; displayed in monospace, but does NOT preserve extra whitespace and line-breaks. [S1]
- **`<var>`** — defines a variable in programming or in a mathematical expression; typically displayed in italic. [S1]
- **`<pre>`** — defines preformatted text; wrapping `<code>` in `<pre>` preserves whitespace and line-breaks. [S1]

## 🧩 추출된 패턴 (Extracted patterns)
- **Keyboard shortcut markup** — `<kbd>Ctrl + S</kbd>`. [S1]
- **Program output markup** — `<samp>...</samp>` (with `<br>` for line breaks). [S1]
- **Inline code** — `<code>...</code>` (whitespace collapses). [S1]
- **Preserved code block** — `<pre><code>...</code></pre>` to keep whitespace and line-breaks. [S1]
- **Variable markup** — `<var>b</var>`, `<var>h</var>` for math/programming variables. [S1]

## 📖 세부 내용 (Details)
HTML contains several elements for defining user input and computer code. [S1]

**HTML `<kbd>` for keyboard input**
The HTML `<kbd>` element is used to define keyboard input. The content inside is displayed in the browser's default monospace font. [S1]
```html
<p>Save the document by pressing <kbd>Ctrl + S</kbd></p>
```

**HTML `<samp>` for program output**
The HTML `<samp>` element is used to define sample output from a computer program. The content inside is displayed in the browser's default monospace font. [S1]
```html
<p>Message from my computer:</p>
<p><samp>File not found.<br>Press F1 to continue</samp></p>
```

**HTML `<code>` for computer code**
The HTML `<code>` element is used to define a piece of computer code. The content inside is displayed in the browser's default monospace font. [S1]
```html
<code>
x = 5;
y = 6;
z = x + y;
</code>
```
Notice that the `<code>` element does NOT preserve extra whitespace and line-breaks. [S1]

**Preserve line-breaks**
To preserve extra whitespace and line-breaks, you can put the `<code>` element inside a `<pre>` element: [S1]
```html
<pre>
<code>
x = 5;
y = 6;
z = x + y;
</code>
</pre>
```

**HTML `<var>` for variables**
The HTML `<var>` element is used to define a variable in programming or in a mathematical expression. The content inside is typically displayed in italic. [S1]
```html
<p>The area of a triangle is: 1/2 x <var>b</var> x <var>h</var>, where <var>b</var> is the base, and <var>h</var> is the vertical height.</p>
```

**Chapter summary**
- `<kbd>` defines keyboard input
- `<samp>` defines sample output from a computer program
- `<code>` defines a piece of computer code
- `<var>` defines a variable in programming or in a mathematical expression
- `<pre>` defines preformatted text

[S1]

**HTML computer code elements reference**

| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| `<code>` | Defines programming code |
| `<kbd>` | Defines keyboard input |
| `<samp>` | Defines computer output |
| `<var>` | Defines a variable |
| `<pre>` | Defines preformatted text |

[S1]

## 🛠️ 적용 사례 (Applied in summary)
The per-element snippets above (keyboard shortcut, program message, code block, preserved code block, variable in a formula) are the canonical applied examples. No external project/commit applications found in the source.

## 💻 코드 패턴 (Code patterns)
Keyboard input:
```html
<kbd>Ctrl + S</kbd>
```
Program output:
```html
<samp>File not found.<br>Press F1 to continue</samp>
```
Whitespace-preserving code block:
```html
<pre><code>
x = 5;
y = 6;
z = x + y;
</code></pre>
```
Variable:
```html
<var>b</var>
```

## ⚖️ 비교 및 선택 기준 (Comparison & decision criteria)
- **`<code>` alone** — monospace, but collapses extra whitespace and line-breaks; use for inline/short code. [S1]
- **`<code>` inside `<pre>`** — preserves whitespace and line-breaks; use for multi-line code blocks. [S1]

## ⚖️ 모순 및 업데이트 (Contradictions & updates)
No contradictions found in the source.

## ✅ 검증 상태 및 신뢰도
- **상태:** draft
- **검증 단계:** conceptual (실제 적용 사례 발견 시 applied/validated로 승격 가능)
- **출처 신뢰도:** B (W3Schools — widely used educational reference, not a primary standards body)
- **신뢰 점수:** 0.90
- **중복 검사 결과:** 신규 생성 (New discovery)

## 🔗 지식 그래프 (Knowledge Graph)
- **상위/루트:** [[HTML Tutorial]]
- **관련 개념:** [[HTML Semantics]], [[HTML Formatting]], [[HTML Introduction]], [[HTML Style Guide]]
- **참조 맥락:** Referenced when documenting code, keyboard shortcuts, program output, or variables within HTML content.

## 📚 출처 (Sources)
- [S1] W3Schools — HTML Computercode — https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_computercode_elements.asp

## 📝 변경 이력 (Change history)
- 2026-06-23: Initial draft synthesized from the W3Schools "HTML Computercode" page (Astra wiki-curation, P-Reinforce v3.1 format).