Title. It seems that everyone hates HTML, so why is it so dominant? Why are there not many frameworks or languages that compile to HTML in the way that there are for JS? I get that there exists markdown, but that it does not have the standardization nor functionality of HTML.
Thanks!!
In: 0
> It seems that everyone hates HTML
Do they?
> Why are there not many frameworks or languages that compile to HTML in the way that there are for JS?
There are plenty of frameworks that generate HTML for you. A lot of websites just have some very bare-bones HTML and then loads of javascript that generates more on the fly.
If you’re talking about something that directly translates to HTML, it’s hard to imagine what the point would be. HTML is just a fairly straightforward markup language. Any alternative markup language that translated directly into HTML would be very similar to it.
And honestly, I think HTML and CSS are largely pretty well designed, unlike javascript, which is an unmitigated disaster that we’re stuck with for historical reasons.
HTML is not a programming language, it’s a markup language. There’s no variables, no flow control, nothing – just a set of containers-in-containers that you can put content in.
A framework wouldn’t make sense in that context – and translating to/from a different markup language, or adding layers of abstraction, would only muddy the water. Honestly, HTML is about as simple and direct as it’s possible to get.
Markdown is an excellent tool for styling a container of text within a document, but it is *not* suitable or intended for describing an entire page.
Making the page look pretty and making the page work are 2 entirely different skills.
In terms of making users use the site and providing revenue, both are equally important. So two different sets of people do it, each with their own skills and tools.
So Most of the html is “written” by artists / designers, not programmers.
It’s pretty rare for one person to be good at both making good looking pages and programming.
Generally the designers prefer a “what you see is what you get” tool for drawing good looking pages.
The tools generate the html for the designer. The designers typically don’t really work with the html directly. Although they might very well do something with the css.
Once the page(s) are designed, the pages are turned over to developers who make the pages work. (Changing the html itself as little as possible, in order to preserve the look and feel)
The designers then typically move on to other projects, taking their tools with them.
The generated html at the html source code is typically both ugly and complicated.
If a change to how a page works has to be made, the developer will edit the html by hand and making minimal changes.
The designer’s tool can’t be used, it’s gone with the designer. And the developers don’t have the aesthetic skills to use it anyway.
No one wants to hire a new designer because that’s expensive and the new designer will want to replace the look and feel, not just patch it.
A typescript like tool can’t be used because designers just don’t think that way.
Awesome thank you for explaining! Is it common for designers to give programmers mock-ups? Or is it mostly pure html/css that the programmers build off of?
Latest Answers