Are web languages actual programming languages?
Think about a website you visited within the past week. Think about what aspects of that website stood out to you. All websites share one thing in common: they are run using the languages HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. HTML is necessary for the site to display elements such as text, images, and webpage sections. CSS is highly recommended for websites because it adds both visual appeal and makes the website more user-friendly. JavaScript runs scripts to make websites more interactive. After all, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are key programming languages for the web. However, if you thought all of them are programming languages, you’d be wrong. Some of these languages are NOT programming languages, and here’s why.
1. What do HTML and CSS stand for?
Many digital languages go by short, easy-to-grasp abbreviations. HTML and CSS both use shorthand names. Let’s start off with HTML. HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language, not Hypertext Programming Language. Hypertext means that text written with HTML has the possibility of including external links (hyperlinks), and a markup language can only display elements, hence the word “markup”. On the other hand, CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. CSS is neither a markup language or a programming language. It is a language based around style sheets in which its main purpose is to add styles to HTML elements. Lastly, JavaScript (or JS for short) uses scripts to run websites. It is a scripting-based language. Since scripts can run digital programs, JavaScript is the only programming language out of these three.
2. The dictionary definition of “programming language”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of a programming language reads: “any of various high-level languages used for computer programs”. A website is not a computer program; rather it is a document that is run by scripts and computer programs, thus nullifying the fact that HTML and CSS are programming languages. Based on the dictionary definition, JavaScript can run actual computer programs, making it an official programming language. Other programming languages include Python, C#, C++, and SQL. Speaking of Python, I’m currently learning it right now, so expect Python learning content in the near future!
3. Why does this matter?
It is essential to understand the difference between programming languages and other digital languages since both of them work hand-in-hand with each other. Without programming languages, there will be no interactivity in the digital world. Just plain, boring documents that provide little value. In contrast, if a website has a bunch of scripts but it looks like a trash can with a clunky interface, it will be hard for search engines to promote the site. All good computer programs aren’t just made up of programming languages - there are many subtle features running in the background too.
Final Thoughts
I hope this overview cleared up any misunderstandings between markup/styling languages and programming languages! Make sure to use both of them in your future projects! Thank you for reading this post and happy coding!
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