Despite being a 30-year-old language, HTML is irreplaceable even now—good luck building anything on the web without it. About 93% of websites use HTML5, the most recent version of the HTML language.
Recently, a developer named Ray made a statement that HTML is the only language with zero haters. His post triggered a debate on the usage of HTML.
Why Hate HTML
Many on Reddit mocked HTML for its lack of functionality control. According to them, HTML is not a programming language, so it lacks the logic, control structures, and data manipulation capabilities that developers often find rewarding.
Source: Reddit
The Backbone of the Internet
However, the fact is that HTML is the internet’s unsung hero. HTML scripting interacts interdependently with other web development languages, most notably JavaScript.
Consider HTML to be the skeleton of a building, setting out the rooms and floors, whereas JavaScript represents the energy that fuels the building’s functioning. They collaborate to create amazing websites and applications.
Generally, you’ll learn HTML basics, tie in CSS, and then start learning JS once you can make static web pages using those.
No wonder Statista ranked HTML as the world’s second-most-used programming language, outperformed in popularity by Java alone.
In another Reddit discussion, developers agreed that understanding HTML is not just a skill, it’s a necessity for anyone aspiring to be a good developer in the digital world.
“This is like asking if a foundation and framing are still needed to build a house, or can you just install the doorbell into the air,” said a developer.
Another one mentioned how he got the job because he could build an entire website without a framework in just HTML and CSS. This shows that if you want to work as a frontend or backend developer, you must be familiar with HTML.
HTML Scores Over Others
As per the Stack Developer Survey 2023, HTML/CSS and JavaScript are almost tied as the most popular languages for people learning to code. Unlike other programming languages, HTML is actually considered one of the easiest to learn.
Some developers say they prefer its latest version, HTML5. One of the unique features in HTML is “semantic tags” that assist the computer in understanding what the different elements of a webpage imply.
Aside from making it simple to organise your code structure, semantic HTML makes it very straightforward for screen readers to identify and differentiate specific information in your web application.
According to them, it has a more flexible syntax compared to other markup languages like XML. It can ignore small errors in the code. Also, unlike XML, HTML5 offers offline capabilities through features like Application Cache and Local Storage.
Even in interpreted languages like Python, you need to execute the entire script to see the results. However, with HTML, you can make a small change to the code, like adding a new paragraph or changing the colour of a heading, save the file, and immediately see the updated content in the web browser.
It’s The Big Daddy
A developer, who builds prototypes, said that he still primarily uses HTML and CSS, with some JS.
“I often notice people who say that HTML has become irrelevant and bring up whatever JavaScript library of choice they love. Nine out of 10 times I look at their code and [realise that] they didn’t think much about accessibility or semantics,” he added.
Whether you’re a novice web developer or an experienced coder, a solid understanding of HTML remains crucial to building the foundation of the digital experiences we encounter daily on the internet.
