The History of ECMAScript

Are you a web developer? Do you use JavaScript or TypeScript? If so, you should know about ECMAScript. ECMAScript is the formal name for JavaScript and TypeScript. It is a programming language that is widely used for web development. In this article, we will explore the history of ECMAScript, from its inception to the present day.

The Beginning

In the mid-1990s, Netscape Communications Corporation created a scripting language for their web browser, Netscape Navigator. This language was called LiveScript. However, in December 1995, Netscape and Sun Microsystems announced a partnership to incorporate Java technology into Netscape Navigator. As a result, LiveScript was renamed to JavaScript to capitalize on the popularity of Java.

In 1996, Netscape submitted JavaScript to the European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) for standardization. This led to the creation of the first version of ECMAScript, which was released in June 1997. ECMAScript 1 was based on JavaScript 1.1 and included features such as variables, functions, and control structures.

ECMAScript 2 and 3

ECMAScript 2 was released in June 1998 and included minor changes to the language. ECMAScript 3 was released in December 1999 and included significant changes to the language, such as regular expressions, try/catch statements, and the switch statement.

ECMAScript 3 was the version of the language that was widely adopted by web developers. It was supported by all major web browsers and was the de facto standard for web development for many years.

ECMAScript 4

In 2003, work began on ECMAScript 4. This version of the language was intended to be a major update and included features such as classes, modules, and namespaces. However, the development of ECMAScript 4 was fraught with controversy and disagreements between the various stakeholders.

In 2008, the ECMAScript 4 specification was abandoned, and work began on ECMAScript 3.1, which was intended to be a minor update to ECMAScript 3. However, this effort was also abandoned, and work began on ECMAScript 5.

ECMAScript 5

ECMAScript 5 was released in December 2009 and included significant changes to the language, such as strict mode, JSON support, and the bind method. ECMAScript 5 was widely adopted by web developers and is still used today.

ECMAScript 6

In 2011, work began on ECMAScript 6, which was intended to be a major update to the language. ECMAScript 6 included features such as classes, arrow functions, template literals, and destructuring. ECMAScript 6 was released in June 2015 and was a significant update to the language.

ECMAScript 6 introduced many new features that made the language more powerful and expressive. It also introduced new syntax that made the language more concise and easier to read. ECMAScript 6 was a major step forward for the language and was widely adopted by web developers.

ECMAScript 7 and Beyond

Since the release of ECMAScript 6, new versions of the language have been released on a yearly basis. ECMAScript 7 was released in June 2016 and included features such as the exponentiation operator and Array.prototype.includes.

ECMAScript 8 was released in June 2017 and included features such as async/await, Object.values/Object.entries, and String padding.

ECMAScript 9 was released in June 2018 and included features such as rest/spread properties, Promise.prototype.finally, and RegExp improvements.

ECMAScript 10 was released in June 2019 and included features such as Array.prototype.flat/flatMap, Object.fromEntries, and String trimming.

ECMAScript 11 was released in June 2020 and included features such as nullish coalescing operator and optional chaining.

ECMAScript 12 is currently in development and is expected to be released in June 2022. It is expected to include features such as record and tuple types, private methods and fields, and more.

Conclusion

ECMAScript has come a long way since its inception in the mid-1990s. From its humble beginnings as LiveScript to its current status as the de facto standard for web development, ECMAScript has evolved to become a powerful and expressive programming language.

With new versions of the language being released on a yearly basis, ECMAScript is constantly evolving and improving. As a web developer, it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest features and syntax of the language.

So, what are you waiting for? Start exploring ECMAScript today and see what you can create!

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