test

    const char* p = base;

    while (p < end) {

        const char* wsStart = p;

        while (p < end && is_ws(static_cast<unsigned char>(*p))) ++p;

        if (p >= end) break;

        if (*p == HTMLTAG_OPEN) { // '<'

            // A whitespace-only run directly between two tags (e.g.

            // "</span> <a>", "</a> <a>") still separates whatever inline

            // content sits on either side of it -- collapse it to a single

            // space instead of silently discarding it, or adjacent inline

            // elements lose the space that keeps their rendered text apart.

            // Leading whitespace before the very first tag in the document

            // is not meaningful the same way, so it's still dropped.

            if (p > wsStart && firstEl) {

                add_element_node(&lastEl);

                auto ws = std::make_unique<TextElement>();

                static_cast<TextElement*>(ws.get())->_Text.push_back(' ');

                lastEl->element = std::move(ws);

                lastEl->terminator = false;

            }

            const char* const remain_end = end;

            const size_t remain = static_cast<size_t>(remain_end - p);