I was checking out some popular websites using the inspect tool and noticed that their code looks really different from the HTML commands we typically write. I'm curious if they have their own programming languages or if they're just more advanced. Can someone shed some light on why there's such a variety in their codebases?
3 Answers
Many large websites utilize content management systems (CMS) that generate all sorts of code automatically. This can definitely lead to the code looking a bit 'weird' compared to hand-coded HTML.
Before going live, developers commonly bundle and minify code to improve loading times and performance. It's a bit like packing a suitcase neatly rather than throwing everything in haphazardly!
Big companies often use frameworks, build tools, and custom design systems that modify the code during the build process. The code you see is usually minified or bundled, which means it’s optimized for performance and doesn’t look like the straightforward HTML we write. They focus on scalability and maintainability, so their final output can seem quite complex.
What does bundling and minifying actually involve?