ahoxus / ahotml

## what?! ahotml is a way of thinking about html. it asks how little structure a useful page needs before the content can speak for itself. web pages often become harder to read than they need to be. layers of wrappers, repeated tags, decoration, and prescribed layouts can hide the actual content. ahotml keeps the page close to its source. that makes it easier to understand, easier to change, and more comfortable on a small screen. it also leaves more room for improvising, creating, and collaborating. start with ordinary html and keep only what helps: + clear text and a logical order + semantic tags where they add meaning + no redundant ceremony + mobile-first and offline-friendly pages + enough freedom to try something different these are suggestions, not laws. ahotml values flexibility and simplicity more than one correct style. ## how write a page that works before adding anything to it. give it a title, a clear heading, and content that needs no explanation from the design. ### a bare page ```html a small page

hello

this page starts with a thought. + a useful list + another useful thing ``` ### more html, still readable ```html

a story with a place

ordinary html can carry rich structure without becoming hard to read.

river below a hill
where the walk changes direction.
make the page say what it means.
more

hide only what the reader may choose to open.

``` use links, lists, images, forms, details, css, and javascript when they help the reader. keep the source close enough to the result that another person can read both and understand what happened. ahotml shorthand can make writing quicker: `+` starts a list, `#` through `######` make headings, and fenced lines hold code. a small local javascript layer renders the shorthand. without javascript, the page still leaves its source available to read. zenith takes this freedom further as a pwa-spa (a progressive web app that can act like a single-page app): it mixes randomness, offline use, sound, and touch. ahoxus grew from one person, without ux specialists; zenith may feel rough or unfamiliar while it grows. try things. break the examples. keep whatever makes the page clearer. ps: ahotml previously lived as troffhtml and ahoxushtml.

random proof

this ordinary html section uses a small local javascript file. nothing happens until you ask for it.

a page can hold a surprise without becoming a maze.

with love ♥️ · fupl · source 20260816Z2157