There are many reasons why HTML isn’t a programming language and it is a markup language. In this blog, we have discussed about why HTML is not a programming language. But first, let's understand the difference between programming language and Markup language.

Programming language

Imagine you have a robot, and you want it to perform certain tasks. Now, you and the robot speak different languages. How do you communicate with it? That's where a programming language comes in.

A programming language is like a set of instructions that you give to the robot so it can understand what you want it to do. These instructions can be as simple as "walk forward" or as complex as "solve a math problem." The programming language acts as a bridge between you and the robot, allowing you to tell it what to do step by step.

Just like you learn languages to talk to people from different countries, programmers learn programming languages to communicate with computers and make them do what they want.

Markup language

Imagine you are writing a story, and you want to make it interesting. You use different colours for headings, bold letters for important parts, and maybe even draw a picture to help tell your story.

A markup language is a bit like that. It's a special way of writing on the computer to make things look cool on a webpage. Instead of just plain text, you can use special codes called "tags" to give instructions to the computer on how things should look.

For example:

• If you want to make a heading, you use a <h1> tag. It's like saying, "Hey computer, this is a big and important title!"

• If you want to make a word bold, you use a <strong> tag. It's like telling the computer, "Make this word strong and stand out!"

So, a markup language, like HTML, is your tool to make your words and pictures on the computer look awesome and organized. It's like having magical crayons to create a fantastic online storybook!

Why HTML is not a programming language

HTML is like the artist's toolbox for creating web pages. It helps organize and display information, like text and images, on the internet. But, it's not a programming language. Here's why:

1. HTML doesn't make decisions:

   • In a programming language, you can tell the computer to do things like calculations or make decisions. HTML doesn't do that. It's more like saying, "This is a heading," or "This is a paragraph." It's about presentation, not action.

2. HTML doesn't have variables or logic:

   • In programming, you can use variables to store information and logic to make decisions based on that information. HTML doesn't deal with that. It's more about structuring content, like saying, "This is a list," or "This is an image."

3. HTML is static:

   • Once you create an HTML page, it doesn't change unless you manually edit it. Programming languages often involve dynamic elements that can change while the program runs. HTML is more like setting up a scene, not directing a live play.

4. No fancy calculations:

   • HTML can't do math or perform complex operations. It's not meant for that. Programming languages, on the other hand, handle tasks that involve calculations, data manipulation, and decision-making.

So, in summary, HTML is fantastic for creating the look and structure of a webpage, but it doesn't have the superpowers that programming languages do. Think of HTML as the designer organizing how things should appear on a page, while programming languages are the ones making things happen and responding to user actions. They work together, each with its role!