JavaScript Advanced Programming: The History of JavaScript

To realize the full potential of JavaScript, it is important to understand its nature, history and limitations.

This section explains the origins of JavaScript and client-side scripting.

Nombas and Scriptease

Probably in 1992, a company called Nombas developed an embedded scripting language called C-minus (C-minus-minus, or Cmm). The idea behind the Cmm is simple: A scripting language that is strong enough to replace macro operations, while maintaining enough similarity to C (and C + +) So developers can learn quickly. The scripting language, bundled in a shared software called Cenvi, was the first to show the power of the language to developers.

Nombas finally changed the name of the Cmm to Scriptease because the latter part (mm) sounded too negative and the letter C was "scary".

Now Scriptease has become the main driving force behind the Nombas products.

Netscape invented JavaScript.

When Netscape Navigator made a debut, Nombas developed a version of Cenvi that could be embedded in a Web page. These early experiments were called Espresso page (espresso-like pages), which represented the first client language to be used on the World Wide Web. And Nombas the idea that it would be an important cornerstone of the World Wide Web.

As web surfing becomes more prevalent, the need to develop client-side scripting is growing. At this point, most Internet users are also connected to the network only via 28.8 kbit/s modems, even when the Web page is constantly becoming larger and more complex. What is more painful to users is that, for simple forms validation, it is necessary to interact with the server multiple times. Imagine that a user fills out a form, clicks the Submit button, waits 30 seconds for processing, and sees a message telling you to forget to fill out a necessary field.

At that time, at the forefront of technological innovation, Netscape began to seriously consider developing a client-side scripting language to solve simple processing problems.

Brendan Eich, who worked at Netscape, began to develop a scripting language called Navigator for the upcoming 1995 release of Netscape LiveScript 2.0, which was intended to be used in browsers and servers (which would have been called Live WIRE) end to use it. Netscape and Sun completed LiveScript implementation in time.

Just before Netscape Navigator 2.0 was officially released, Netscape renamed it JavaScript to use Java, the Internet buzzword. Netscape's bets are finally rewarded, and JavaScript has become an essential component of the Internet.

Three pillars

Because JavaScript 1.0 was so successful, Netscape released version 1.1 in Netscape Navigator 3.0. It happened that time, Microsoft decided to enter the browser, released IE 3.0 and a JavaScript version of the clone, called JScript (so named to avoid potential licensing disputes with Netscape). This important step in Microsoft's Web browser landscape is a significant step in the development of the JavaScript language, although it is notorious.

After Microsoft entered, there were 3 different versions of JavaScript that existed: JavaScript in Netscape Navigator 3.0, JScript in IE, and Scriptease in Cenvi. Unlike C and other programming languages, JavaScript does not have a standard to unify its syntax or features, and these 3 different versions highlight the problem. As the industry's fears increase, the standardization of the language is clearly imperative.

Standardization

In 1997, JavaScript 1.1 was submitted as a draft to the European Association of Computer Manufacturers (ECMA). The 39th Technical Committee (TC39) was delegated to "standardize the syntax and semantics of a generic, cross-platform, vendor-neutral scripting language" (http://www.ecma-international.org/memento/TC39.htm). TC39, composed of programmers from Netscape, Sun, Microsoft, Borland and other companies interested in scripting, has honed ECMA-262, which defines a new scripting language called ECMAScript.

In the next few years, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/IEC) also adopted ECMAScript as the standard (iso/iec-16262). Since then, Web browsers have struggled (albeit with varying degrees of success and failure) to ECMAScript as the basis for JAVASCRIPT implementations.

JavaScript Advanced Programming: The History of JavaScript