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Discussion on: Are CSS and HTML programming languages?

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j_mplourde profile image
Jean-Michel Plourde

I've read from some sources that CSS3 + HTML5 is Turing Complete. Someone with the nickname elitheeli proved this with a demo of a Rule 110 cellular automaton which is Turing complete. There is not javascript involved, just a html and css which is quite surprising when you open the repo.

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deciduously profile image
Ben Lovy

While very cool, isn't this an argument against? Neither language is Turing complete on their own, only in combination.

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j_mplourde profile image
Jean-Michel Plourde

You are right and I feel the same. They aren't Turing complete on their own, only when combined. I'd have to look more into it.

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stereobooster profile image
stereobooster

Simply typed lambda calculus is not Turing complete either...

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deciduously profile image
Ben Lovy

Right, because (as I understand it) you always get to normal form and terminate. It's not exactly a programming language either, though, right?

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stereobooster profile image
stereobooster

Right, because (as I understand it) you always get to normal form and terminate.

Yes. Expressions in typed lambda always terminate (you can't create Y-combinator, for example).

It's not exactly a programming language either, though, right?

Why not? It's not very comfortable to use, but you can write a program in it, to calculate something

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deciduously profile image
Ben Lovy

Heh, fair enough :)

I guess my eventual conclusion is that I'm wrong, it doesn't make sense to delineate HTML and CSS as something different, but also as others have noted that the distinction itself isn't all that useful. Calling something one category has no bearing on what you can or cannot do with it.

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stereobooster profile image
stereobooster

Scientific approach - given enough evidence one changes opinion

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deciduously profile image
Ben Lovy

Gotta love a good ol' fashioned discuss!