Re: Re: "Are You Working With Endangered Languages?"

[awkmonk]

In case anyone was wondering...

The only reason HTML doesn't count as a true programming language is it's lack of a looping facility. It requires that to be Turing complete (although I'd hate to see a device driver written in HTML!). It's certainly as convoluted as most other languages - although perhaps not Befunge.

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'I think the problem lies in the fact that your data doesn't fit my program'.

[dws]

The only reason HTML doesn't count as a true programming language is...

For purposes of the ranking, think of HTML as a specialized written language, rather than as a programming language. From a (non-technical) manager's point of view, HTML is a specialized technical language that its developers and maintainers need to buy books (and/or take training classes) to learn. It's also a specialized language that can become endangered, like SGML. That's the point of the article and the chart.

[Anonymous Monk]

For purposes of the ranking, think of HTML as a specialized written language,

How about we think of it as a freakin Markup Language! That's what it is, that's what the ML in HTML stands for. It's not a programming language. It's a markup language. Say it with me M-A-R-K-U-P L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E, MARKUP LANGUAGE.

HTML is a specialized technical language that its developers and maintainers need to buy books

I fear for our society if people think HTML is complex. All you need is a basic reference (w3schools.com is overkill). It's not as if you need 8 books to grasp the basics, training classes are totally unecessary for anyone who is capable of basic symbol manipulation. And, yes, this applies to all these "advanced uber elite skilled webmaster tricks" 99% of which are unecessary and the other 1% is dealing with platform differences. Everytime I hear someone say "I'm a webmaster" in that pretentious little voice they always have, I shed a single tear.