Syntax Highlighting with Prism.js in .NET Projects

Syntax Highlighting with Prism.js in .NET Projects

If you're building a technical site or developer documentation, you already know how important clean, readable code examples are. But integrating syntax highlighting (especially across multiple languages with proper formatting and copy buttons) isn’t always plug-and-play.

DevStack includes a full Prism.js setup out of the box — pre-wired, styled, and tested for .NET developers.

✅ Why Prism.js?

Prism.js is a lightweight, extensible syntax highlighter that works well with modern frontend frameworks. Unlike heavier libraries, Prism lets you:

  • Load only the languages you need
  • Add plugins like line numbers, autolinker, or copy to clipboard
  • Style with your own CSS or use one of many ready-made themes

💡 What It Looks Like (Live) 

using System;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string path = "example.txt";
        if (File.Exists(path))
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Found file: " + path);
        }
    }
}

The above snippet is fully styled using Prism.js with support for:

  • ✅ Language detection via class (e.g., language-csharp)
  • ✅ Optional line numbers
  • ✅ Copy button tooltip

🔧 How to Set It Up

Here’s what you need to make Prism work on your own project:

1. Include CSS & JS

In <head>:

<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.29.0/themes/prism.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />
<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.29.0/plugins/line-numbers/prism-line-numbers.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />

Before `

`:

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.29.0/prism.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.29.0/plugins/line-numbers/prism-line-numbers.min.js"></script>

2. HTML Markup for Code 

<pre class="language-csharp line-numbers"><code class="language-csharp">
Console.WriteLine("Hello World");
</code></pre>

3. Optional Copy Button 

<button class="copy-btn" onclick="copyCode(this)">📋</button>
<script>
  function copyCode(btn) {
    const code = btn.nextElementSibling.querySelector('code');
    navigator.clipboard.writeText(code.textContent).then(() => {
      btn.textContent = "✅";
      setTimeout(() => btn.textContent = "📋", 1500);
    });
  }
</script>

✨ Skip the Setup

Why spend hours wiring up Prism, copy buttons, and responsive styles when you can skip straight to development?

My DevStack codebase includes this integration and dozens of others — from Markdown rendering to email capture, SEO, and rich user interaction.

If you’re a .NET developer tired of reinventing the same plumbing, check out /DevStack or explore my /services.

✅ Bonus: Full Prism Setup (Languages + Plugins)

Want C#, HTML, CSS, SQL, JS, and more? You can use the PrismJS Download Page to build a custom bundle — or I’ll wire it in for you.

You can also browse my CV to learn more about how I help developers deliver faster with tools like this already built.

Let me know if you’d like a live demo, custom theme, or even embed Prism with Markdown like I do with my Text2Html parser.

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