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I don't see the environment for an HTML page being richer, in any sense at all, then the environment for a Java program. Especially if we are not considering j

• JoeAltmaier 12y ago
  I wonder if its something like the arguments for why humans are different from animals (e.g. opposable thumb; tool maker; language). We keep casting about for things; they keep getting disproved. Maybe its not a worthwhile categorization.
  • dllthomas 12y ago
    My view is that HTML is not a "programming language" because it was not designed for programming, and isn't very good at it. C isn't a markup language because it wasn't designed for adding presentational and organizational context to information, and it isn't very good at it. Some markup languages let you do some programming, and vice-versa. There are also some candidates for being considered both a programming language and a markup language. HTML, absent js, doesn't seem to be one of these.
    • JoeAltmaier 12y ago
      But that's circular, right? HTML isn't a programming language, because you can't program. Maybe its like pornography; you know it when you see it.
      • dllthomas 12y ago
        It is only circular if we define programming by reference to programming languages. To be honest, I am not sure precisely how I would define programming. A first attempt would be "structuring events and computation, often by reference to future input". As with most definitions outside mathematics, it's going to be fuzzy. Edited to add: Note that with this framework, whether you are programming is not determined by what language you are using.