<code> vs <pre> vs <samp> for inline and block code snippets

Personally I'd use <code> because that's the most semantically correct. Then to differentiate between inline and block code I'd add a class either:

<code class="inlinecode"></code>

for inline code or:

<code class="codeblock"></code>

for code block. Depending on which is less common.

Show HTML code, as-is, using the (obsolete) <xmp> tag:

<xmp>
<div>
  <input placeholder='write something' value='test'>
</div>
</xmp>

It is very sad this tag has been deprecated, but it does still works on browsers, it it is a bad-ass tag. no need to escape anything inside it. What a joy!

Show HTML code, as-is, using the <textarea> tag:

<textarea readonly rows="4" style="background:none; border:none; resize:none; outline:none; width:100%;">
<div>
  <input placeholder='write something' value='test'>
</div>
</textarea>

Something I completely missed: the non-wrapping behaviour of <pre> can be controlled with CSS. So this gives the exact result I was looking for:

code { 
    background: hsl(220, 80%, 90%); 
}

pre {
    white-space: pre-wrap;
    background: hsl(30,80%,90%);
}

Here's an example demonstrating the <code>&lt;code&gt;</code> tag.

<pre>
Here's a very long pre-formatted formatted using the &lt;pre&gt; tag. Notice how it wraps?  It goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...
</pre>

http://jsfiddle.net/9mCN7/

Use <code> for inline code that can wrap and <pre><code> for block code that must not wrap. <samp> is for sample output, so I would avoid using it to represent sample code (which the reader is to input). This is what Stack Overflow does.

(Better yet, if you want easy to maintain, let the users edit the articles as Markdown, then they don’t have to remember to use <pre><code>.)

HTML5 agrees with this in “the pre element”:

The pre element represents a block of preformatted text, in which structure is represented by typographic conventions rather than by elements.

Some examples of cases where the pre element could be used:

• Including fragments of computer code, with structure indicated according to the conventions of that language.

[…]

To represent a block of computer code, the pre element can be used with a code element; to represent a block of computer output the pre element can be used with a samp element. Similarly, the kbd element can be used within a pre element to indicate text that the user is to enter.

In the following snippet, a sample of computer code is presented.

<p>This is the <code>Panel</code> constructor:</p>
<pre><code>function Panel(element, canClose, closeHandler) {
      this.element = element;
      this.canClose = canClose;
      this.closeHandler = function () { if (closeHandler) closeHandler() };
    }</code></pre>