[cma256]

Are there native frameworks which use XHTML? Regardless, a document language being used to construct complex, interactive GUIs is incidental complexity. XHTML can be a compilation target but it does not need to be a development target.

[0x3f]

But what's the benefit of using e.g. <row><cell> over <tr><td> if your only target is the web?

[cma256]

If your only target is web then there is no benefit other than a reduction in complexity.

For example, a "row" is not just a "<div>" tag. Its a div which horizontally fills its container. Centering contents with a "center" style attribute abstracts flex-box, browser compatibility, version compatibility, and the cascading behavior of CSS.

You move the incidental complexity of the web platform into the compiler which will always do the right thing. And in exchange you get the option to compile to a native or mobile app for "free".

[0x3f]

I think I much prefer semantic elements like <section> over something like <row>. Calling something a row bakes in presentational information. Something that's a row on one screen size might be a column on another.

[cma256]

I agree. For my blog I don't apply CSS and prefer to let the browser's reader mode perform the styling for me.

But there are categories of application where that is not acceptable. The presentation is a tightly controlled aspect of the application's functionality. If you're designing an application with leptos or sycamore my suspicion is you would fall into the latter category rather than the former.