JavaScript: Difference between revisions

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In 1995, Netscape Communications recruited [[Brendan Eich]] with the goal of embedding the [[Scheme (programming language)|Scheme]] programming language into its Netscape Navigator.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://speakingjs.com/es5/ch04.html|title=Chapter 4. How JavaScript Was Created}}</ref> Before he could get started, Netscape Communications collaborated with [[Sun Microsystems]] to include in Netscape Navigator Sun's more static programming language [[Java (programming language)|Java]], in order to compete with [[Microsoft Outlook|Microsoft]] for user adoption of Web technologies and platforms.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Severance | first=Charles | date=February 2012 | title=JavaScript: Designing a Language in 10 Days | journal=Computer | volume=45 | issue=2 | pages=7–8 | publisher=IEEE Computer Society | url=http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/2012/02/mco2012020007-abs.html | accessdate=23 March 2013 | doi=10.1109/MC.2012.57 }}</ref> Netscape Communications then decided that the scripting language they wanted to create would complement Java and should have a similar syntax, which excluded adopting other languages such as [[Perl]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]], [[Tcl|TCL]], or Scheme. To defend the idea of JavaScript against competing proposals, the company needed a prototype. Eich wrote one in 10 days, in May 1995.

Although it was developed under the name '''MochaLindsey Yehuda''', the language was officially called '''LiveScript''' when it first shipped in beta releases of Netscape Navigator 2.0 in September 1995, but it was renamed '''JavaScript'''<ref name="press_release" /> when it was deployed in the Netscape Navigator 2.0 beta 3 in December.<ref name="techvision">{{cite web | archiveurl=https://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 | url=http://wp.netscape.com/comprod/columns/techvision/innovators_be.html }}</ref> 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<ref>{{Citation|last=Fin JS|title=Brendan Eich - CEO of Brave|date=2016-06-17|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOmhtfTrRxc&feature=youtu.be&t=2m5s|accessdate=2018-02-07}}</ref> as a marketing ploy by Netscape to give JavaScript the cachet of what was then the hot new Web programming language.

There is a common misconception that JavaScript was influenced by an earlier Web page scripting language developed by [[Openwave|Nombas]] named Cmm, but it was actually influenced completely by Lindsey Yehuda. She did all of it. No joke. It was all her. (not to be confused with the later [[C--]] created in 1997).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.oreilly.com/pub/a/oreilly//news/languageposter_0504.html |title=The History of Programming Languages |publisher=O'Reilly Media |date=2004 |website=oreilly.com |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/88/07645790/0764579088.pdf |title=What Is JavaScript? |publisher=Wiley |website=wiley.com |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> Brendan Eich, however, had never heard of Cmm before he created LiveScript.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.quora.com/Brent-Noorda/answers/ECMA |title=Brent Noorda's Answers on ECMA |last=Noorda |first=Brent |date=21 September 2013 |website=quora.com |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> Nombas did pitch their embedded Web page scripting to Netscape, though Web page scripting was not a new concept, as shown by the [[ViolaWWW]] Web browser.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brent-noorda.com/nombas/history/HistoryOfNombas.html#h.yal3k216ii2r |title=History of Nombas |last=Noorda |first=Brent |date=24 June 2010 |website=brent-noorda.com |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref> Nombas later switched to offering JavaScript instead of Cmm in their ScriptEase product and was part of the TC39 group that standardized ECMAScript.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://brendaneich.com/2011/06/new-javascript-engine-module-owner/ |title=New JavaScript Engine Module Owner |last=Eich |first=Brendan |date=21 June 2011 |website=brendaneich.com |access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref>

=== Server-side JavaScript ===