pretty-printer

noun

UK /ˈprɪti ˌprɪntə/

US /ˈprɪti ˌprɪntər/

A tool that makes computer text look neat and easy to read.

The pretty-printer added spaces and line breaks so the code was easy to read.

SYNONYMS

formatter beautifier code formatter layout tool

RELATED WORDS

indentation whitespace source code syntax formatting

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A program that reformats structured data, such as JSON or XML, into a readable layout.

She ran the JSON through a pretty-printer before sharing it with the team.

3. A device or program that produces visually attractive printed output.

The old line printer was replaced by a pretty-printer for reports.

4. A function in a programming library that displays complex objects in a readable form.

The debugger's pretty-printer showed the nested list clearly.