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JavaScript History

In early 1995, Brendan Eich from Netscape designed and implemented a new language for non-java programmers to give newly added Java support in Netscape navigator. It was initially named Mocha, then LiveScript, and finally JavaScript

JavaScript was first released as part of Netscape Navigator 2.0, one of the first major web browsers

Nowadays, JavaScript can execute not only on browsers but also on the server or any device with a JavaScript Engine. For example, Node.js is a framework based on JavaScript that executes on the server.


JavaScript and ECMAScript

As you now know, JavaScript was primarily developed to execute on browsers. There are many different browsers from different companies. So, there was a need to standardize the execution of the JavaScript code to achieve the same functionality in all the browsers.

JavaScript implements the ECMAScript standards, which includes features specified in ECMA-262 specification as well as other features which are not based on ECMAScript standards.


The Rise of JavaScript Frameworks and Libraries

React (2013), Angular (2010), and Vue (2014): These frameworks and libraries transformed front-end development, helping developers build complex applications with reusable components.

TypeScript (2012): Created by Microsoft, TypeScript introduced static typing to JavaScript, making it easier to manage large codebases and favored by many developers in modern development.


JavaScript's Expanding Role

JavaScript continues to evolve with frameworks like Next.js for server-side rendering and Deno, a new runtime by Node.js creator Ryan Dahl. The ecosystem keeps expanding, with JavaScript now being used for mobile development (React Native), desktop apps (Electron), and even machine learning (TensorFlow.js).


Application of JavaScript

JavaScript is used to create interactive websites. It is mainly used for:

  • Client-side validation
  • Dynamic drop-down menus
  • Displaying date and time
  • Displaying pop-up windows and dialog boxes (like an alert dialog box, confirm dialog box and prompt dialog box)
  • Displaying clocks etc

JavaScript Example

<script>
document.write("Hello JavaScript by JavaScript");
</script>