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There appears to be a pretty clear consensus on the question about whether HTML and CSS are programming languages. They are not.

HTML is a markup language and CSS is a stylesheet language. You could probably also argue that SQL isn't really a programming language either, and JavaScript is as the name implies more a scripting language than a programming language. However, what's a good "umbrella" term for these? Could i just say they are "technologies"?

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closed as primarily opinion-based by MichaelT, Joachim Sauer, Dan Pichelman, Jim G., NickC Sep 23 '13 at 19:57


web development technologies? –  Jan Dvorak Sep 23 '13 at 18:02
These days there is fundamentally no difference between a scripting and a programming language. –  whatsisname Sep 23 '13 at 18:10
I thought this question was about coming up with a term that describes programming with all of them. –  JeffO Sep 23 '13 at 18:33
It really depends on what aspect of them you're trying to capture. If you're trying to put them on your resume, in addition to Java/C#/whatever, I'd file them under "web development technologies" and move on with my life. Trying to find a central concept that unifies them is like packing your living room and putting the houseplants, your Carpenters records and the cat in the same box. There's just not that much in common with them other than where you find them used. –  Sean McSomething Sep 23 '13 at 20:04
@SeanMcSomething - I like that analogy. Although I'd never put my plants and my cat in the same box - I'd be worried about the plant attacking the cat... –  Bobson Sep 23 '13 at 21:33

3 Answers 3

Javascript is a real goodness to honest turing complete language. You can script in C if you really want. So Javascript is and should be called a programming language.

As for HTML, CSS, and SQL. They're all specific languages that do one thing well. The name for the are external DSLs, domain specific languages. Other DSLs include things like Yacc's grammars and regexs.

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That's a pretty bug umbrella. Perhaps "Domain Specific Language" (DSL) might be a good fit. However, Javascript is increasingly general, so there might not be a good moniker for that umbrella.

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So, you're saying HTML & CSS are Domain Specific languages .......? –  Pinocchio Sep 23 '13 at 18:11
@Pinocchio: of course they are. HTML is domain-specific to declaring structured, textual data. CSS is domain-specific to styling marked-up text. DSL need not be "proper" or "turing-complete". In fact, many aren't. I do not, however agree that JavaScript is domain-specific. It's been developed for a given domain, but there really isn't too much in it that's specific tothe domain (see, for example, Node.js). –  Joachim Sauer Sep 23 '13 at 18:13
I also agree that it's perfectly reasonable to not consider JS a DSL. It started as a DSL, but has evolved out the "DS" part of it. –  Kevin Hsu Sep 23 '13 at 18:35

Bottom Line: They cannot be lumped into one "umbrella" term.

HTML & CSS: I would say HTML and CSS are presentation layler technologies. You could easily lump these two together.

Javascript: I agree with @jozefg. This is not just a scripting languuage it's a very powerful, full featured language.

SQL: This is a full-fledged database language. To be a true master of SQL you need to think differently than other programming languages.

And the like...: We can only assume you are referring to other "Non-Compiled" languages such as ASP and PHP.

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yes..."and the like" was aimed at PHP etc. Maybe the term "technologies" is the only think they all can be described with... –  sbrattla Sep 23 '13 at 19:53
For the record: ASP is not a language but a scripting engine. It can host several different languages like VBScript and JavaScript. –  Jeff Sep 23 '13 at 19:59
+1 @ Jeff you are correct. Thanks. –  Cape Cod Gunny Sep 23 '13 at 20:02
