Java -- Language of the web?

[cormac patterson]

If you were going to learn one true programming language for working with the web, would you recommend Java? (You know, aside from HTML, JS, etc.).
Thanks

[Tom Hennigan]

If you only have time to learn a single language, then you lack the commitment to learn Java. So, I recommend HTML - perhaps using FrontPage or DreamWeaver.
Web programming simply involves a basket of technologies - there is no getting around that. Take a look at the newer technologies grouped under the common veil "Web services" to get an idea, or J2EE for that matter.
Alas, it is fun and worthwhile, but it takes more than a single language.
Good luck!

[Valentin Crettaz]

First off, HTML is not a programming language, it is a static formatting language. JavaScript is not a programming language either, it is a (client-side or server-side) scripting language. Now, HTML usually acts as some sort of container within which you can include other things like Java applets, Flash animations, etc. If you are going to write HTML pages, your website will be static, that means the content of your pages have to be updated "by hand". If you want your web pages to provide dynamic content, then you can use JavaServer Pages And Java Servlets, or ASP or PHP or whatever server-side technology that may generate dynamic HTML content. Besides Java applets, Java is not present as such in a web page, but a web page may the product of some server-side page generation.
Now, as for choosing a specific technology for implementing web applications, Java is very well-suited for that purpose but it is not the only technology at hand. Also it depends on what kind of application you want to do.