Syntax highlighting is a feature of text editors that is used for programming, scripting, or markup languages, such as HTML. The feature displays text, especially source code, in different colours and fonts according to the category of terms.
It’s not only text editors that offer syntax highlighting. We explore specialised tools that offer syntax highlighting for a whole raft of programming languages.
Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion here.
Let’s explore the 9 tools in more detail.
| Syntax Highlighters | |
|---|---|
| Prism | Lightweight, extensible syntax highlighter, with modern web standards in mind |
| Highlight.js | JavaScript syntax highlighter with language auto-detection |
| Shiki | Themeable code rendering powered by TextMate grammars |
| Chroma | General purpose syntax highlighter |
| Rouge | Pure Ruby syntax highlighter |
| Pygments | Generic syntax highlighter |
| starry-night | GitHub-style code colouring for JavaScript projects |
| Highlight | Transforms source code into polished, readable output |
| Re-Highlight | Powerful syntax highlighter |
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