JavaScript: The First 20 Years

Abstract

Part 1, The Origins of JavaScript, is about the creation and early evolution of JavaScript. It examines the motivations and trade-offs that went into the development of the first version of the JavaScript language at Netscape. Because of its name, JavaScript is often confused with the Javag programming language. Part 1 explains the process of naming the language, the envisioned relationship between the two languages, and what happened instead. It includes an overview of the original features of the language and the design decisions that motivated them. Part 1 also traces the early evolution of the language through its first few years at Netscape and other companies. Part 2, Creating a Standard, examines how the JavaScript standardization effort was initiated, how the specifications were created, who contributed to the effort, and how decisions were made. Part 3, Failed Reformations, examines the unsuccessful attempts to revise the language, the resulting turmoil within the standards committee, and how that turmoil was ultimately resolved. Part 4, Modernizing JavaScript, is the story of the people and processes that were used to create both the 2009 and 2015 editions of the ECMAScript standard. It covers the goals for each edition and how they addressed evolving needs of the JavaScript development community.