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JavaScript uses syntax influenced by that of [[C (programming language)|C]]. JavaScript copies many names and naming conventions from [[Java (programming language)|Java]], but the two languages are otherwise unrelated and have very different semantics. The key design principles within JavaScript are taken from the [[Self (programming language)|Self]] and [[Scheme (programming language)|Scheme]] programming languages.<ref>{{cite web|title=ECMAScript Language Overview|url=http://www.ecmascript.org/es4/spec/overview.pdf|format=PDF|pages=4|date=2007-10-23|accessdate=2009-05-03}}</ref>
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== History ==
{{quote box|width = 200px|Anyway I know only one [[programming language]] worse than [[C (programming language)|C]] and that is Javascript. [...] I was convinced that we needed to build-in a programming language, but the developers, [[Tim Berners-Lee|Tim]] first, were very much opposed. It had to remain completely declarative. Maybe, but the net result is that the programming-vacuum filled itself with the most horrible [[kludge|kluge]] in the history of computing: Javascript.|[[Robert Cailliau]]<ref>[[wikinews:Wikinews:Story preparation/Interview with Robert Cailliau]]</ref>}}
JavaScript was originally developed by [[Brendan Eich]] of Netscape under the name ''Mocha'', which was later renamed to ''LiveScript'', and finally to JavaScript mainly because it was more influenced by the [[Java programming language]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Krill |first=Paul |url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/06/23/eich-javascript-interview_1.html |title=JavaScript creator ponders past, future |publisher=InfoWorld |date=2008-06-23 |accessdate=2009-05-19}}</ref><ref name="computerworld">{{cite web|last=Hamilton|first=Naomi|url=http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/255293/-z_programming_languages_javascript|title=The A-Z of Programming Languages: JavaScript|publisher=computerworld.com.au|date=2008-06-31}}</ref>
LiveScript was the official name for the language when it first shipped in beta releases of Netscape Navigator 2.0 in September 1995, but it was renamed JavaScript in a joint announcement with Sun Microsystems on December 4, 1995,<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070916144913/http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease67.html Press release announcing JavaScript], "Netscape and Sun announce Javascript", PR Newswire, December 4, 1995</ref> when it was deployed in the Netscape browser version 2.0B3.<ref name="techvision">{{cite web |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080208124612/http://wp.netscape.com/comprod/columns/techvision/innovators_be.html |archivedate=2008-02-08 |title=TechVision: Innovators of the Net: Brendan Eich and JavaScript |publisher=Web.archive.org |date= |accessdate=2010-06-14}}</ref>
The change of name from LiveScript to JavaScript roughly coincided with Netscape adding support for Java technology in its [[Netscape Navigator]] web browser. The final choice of name caused confusion, giving the impression that the language was a spin-off of the [[Java programming language]], and the choice has been characterized by many as a marketing ploy by Netscape to give JavaScript the cachet of what was then the hot new web programming language.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webdevelopersnotes.com/basics/languages_on_the_internet.php3 |title=Programming languages used on the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) |publisher=Webdevelopersnotes.com |date= |accessdate=2009-05-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://safari.oreilly.com/0596101996/jscript5-CHP-1 |title=O'Reilly - Safari Books Online - 0596101996 - JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 5th Edition |publisher=Safari.oreilly.com |date= |accessdate=2009-05-19}}</ref>
It has also been claimed{{citation}} that the language's name is the result of a co-marketing deal between [[Netscape]] and [[Sun Microsystems|Sun]], in exchange for Netscape bundling Sun's Java runtime with its [[Usage share of web browsers#GVU WWW user survey (1994-01 to 1998-10)|then-dominant browser]].
JavaScript very quickly gained widespread success as a client-side scripting language for web pages. As a consequence, [[Microsoft]] named its implementation [[JScript]] to avoid trademark issues. JScript added new date methods to fix the [[Year 2000 problem|Y2K]]-problematic methods in JavaScript, which were based on Java's <code>[http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/java/util/Date.html java.util.Date]</code> class.<ref name="popularity">{{cite web|url=http://brendaneich.com/2008/04/popularity/ |title=Popularity |author=Brendan Eich |date=3 April 2008 |accessdate=2012-01-19}}</ref> JScript was included in [[Internet Explorer]] 3.0, released in August 1996.
In November 1996, Netscape announced that it had submitted JavaScript to [[Ecma International]] for consideration as an industry standard, and subsequent work resulted in the standardized version named [[ECMAScript]].<ref>[http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/files/ECMA-ST/Ecma-262.pdf ECMAScript 3rd Edition specification]</ref>
JavaScript has become one of the most popular programming languages on the web. Initially, however, many professional programmers denigrated the language because its target audience was web authors and other such "amateurs", among other reasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crockford.com/javascript/javascript.html |title=JavaScript: The World's Most Misunderstood Programming Language |publisher=Crockford.com |date= |accessdate=2009-05-19}}</ref> The advent of [[Ajax (programming)|Ajax]] returned JavaScript to the spotlight and brought more professional programming attention. The result was a proliferation of comprehensive [[List of JavaScript libraries|frameworks and libraries]], improved JavaScript programming practices, and increased usage of JavaScript outside of web browsers, as seen by the proliferation of [[server-side JavaScript]] platforms.
In January 2009, the [[CommonJS]] project was founded with the goal of specifying a common standard library mainly for JavaScript development outside the browser.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2009/12/commonjs-effort-sets-javascript-on-path-for-world-domination.ars |title=CommonJS effort sets JavaScript on path for world domination |author=Kris Kowal |date=1 December 2009 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast Publications]] |accessdate=18 April 2010}}</ref>
== Trademark ==
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