Node.js Tutorial - 2 - ECMAScript
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the origins and definitions of Node.js and JavaScript runtime environments, starting with the history of web browsers and scripting languages. It explains how Netscape's JavaScript and Microsoft's JScript led to the need for a standardized language, resulting in ECMAScript. The script clarifies the distinction between ECMAScript (the standard) and JavaScript (the implementation), highlighting the importance of ECMA-262 and TC39. It also touches on the evolution of ECMAScript, with ES2015 (ES6) marking a significant leap to modern JavaScript features, which are foundational for web development.
Takeaways
- 🕰️ In 1993, the first web browser with a user interface, Mosaic, was released.
- 🌐 In 1994, Netscape Navigator was released, but it lacked dynamic capabilities for web pages.
- 🔍 In 1995, Netscape created JavaScript to enable interactivity on web pages.
- 🤝 JavaScript was named for marketing purposes to capitalize on the popularity of Java.
- 💥 A browser war ensued between Netscape and Microsoft, leading to the creation of JScript by Microsoft.
- 🔄 Microsoft's JScript was functionally similar to JavaScript but had different implementation, causing compatibility issues.
- 📚 In 1996, Netscape submitted JavaScript to ECMA International for standardization.
- 🏛️ ECMA International is an industry association focused on standardizing information and communication systems.
- 📜 ECMA standardized JavaScript as ECMAScript, with the specification known as ECMA-262 and the committee as TC39.
- 🚫 Oracle owns the trademark for 'JavaScript', leading to the use of 'ECMAScript' for the standard language.
- 🔄 ECMAScript and JavaScript are often used interchangeably, despite being technically different.
- 🌟 ES2015 (ES6) introduced Modern JavaScript features and has become essential for JavaScript development.
Q & A
What was the significance of the Mosaic browser in 1993?
-The Mosaic browser was significant as it was the first web browser with a user interface, laying the groundwork for future web development and user interaction with the internet.
Why was JavaScript created by Netscape in 1995?
-JavaScript was created to address the lack of dynamic behavior and interactivity in web pages, allowing for more engaging and interactive user experiences.
What was the marketing strategy behind naming the new scripting language 'JavaScript'?
-The name 'JavaScript' was chosen for marketing purposes to capitalize on the popularity of Java at the time, even though the two languages are quite different.
Why did Microsoft create JScript?
-Microsoft created JScript to provide a similar dynamic web experience as JavaScript in their Internet Explorer browser, as there was no standard specification to follow for compatibility.
What problem arose from the differences between JavaScript and JScript?
-The differences between JavaScript and JScript made it difficult for developers to create websites that worked consistently across both browsers, leading to a fragmented web development environment.
What is ECMA International and what role did it play in standardizing JavaScript?
-ECMA International is an industry association dedicated to the standardization of information and communication systems. It provided a standard specification and a committee (TC39) to work on creating a consistent implementation of JavaScript across browsers.
Why did ECMA International use the term 'ECMAScript' instead of 'JavaScript'?
-ECMA International used 'ECMAScript' because Oracle, which acquired Netscape, owned the trademark for 'JavaScript'. This allowed for a standard language term separate from the implementation-specific term.
What is the relationship between ECMAScript and JavaScript?
-ECMAScript refers to the standard language as defined by ECMA-262, while JavaScript is the implementation of ECMAScript that includes additional features and is used in practice.
What is the significance of ECMAScript 2015 (ES6) in the development of modern JavaScript?
-ECMAScript 2015, also known as ES6, introduced many modern JavaScript features that have become a prerequisite for developing with JavaScript, setting a new standard for web development.
How are the terms 'ECMAScript' and 'JavaScript' used in the context of this video series?
-In the context of this video series, 'ECMAScript' and 'JavaScript' are often used interchangeably, with 'ECMAScript' referring to the standard language and 'JavaScript' being the term used in practice.
What will be the focus of the next video in the series?
-The next video will focus on learning about Chrome's V8 engine, which is a key component in the execution of JavaScript in the Chrome browser.
Outlines
📜 The Origin of JavaScript and ECMAScript
This paragraph delves into the history and development of JavaScript and ECMAScript. It begins with the release of the Mosaic browser in 1993 and the subsequent launch of Netscape Navigator in 1994. The lack of dynamic behavior in web pages led to the creation of JavaScript by Netscape in 1995, a language named for marketing purposes to capitalize on the popularity of Java. Microsoft's Internet Explorer entered the scene, leading to a 'browser war' and the creation of JScript by reverse engineering JavaScript. This caused compatibility issues for developers. To standardize the language, Netscape submitted JavaScript to ECMA International in 1996, which led to the creation of ECMA-262 and TC39. The term ECMAScript was adopted to refer to the standardized language, while JavaScript is the term used in practice, building upon ECMAScript. The paragraph concludes with the introduction of ES2015, also known as ES6, which brought modern features to JavaScript and has become essential for development.
🔗 Understanding ECMAScript as JavaScript for Future Discussions
The second paragraph establishes that for the remainder of the series, ECMAScript can be treated as synonymous with JavaScript, the language familiar to all. It emphasizes that understanding the first concept is crucial and invites viewers to join the next video to learn about Chrome's V8 engine. This sets the stage for further exploration into the technical aspects of JavaScript execution environments, specifically focusing on the V8 engine which is integral to the performance and capabilities of JavaScript in the Chrome browser.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Node.js
💡JavaScript Runtime Environment
💡ECMAScript
💡Mosaic
💡Netscape Navigator
💡JavaScript
💡Internet Explorer
💡JScript
💡ECMA International
💡ECMA-262
💡Technical Committee 39 (TC39)
💡ES2015/ES6
Highlights
Introduction to the series focusing on understanding Node.js and JavaScript runtime environments.
The importance of understanding foundational concepts before delving into more complex topics.
Historical context: The release of the first web browser with a user interface, Mosaic, in 1993.
Netscape Navigator's release in 1994 and its impact on the popularity of web browsers.
The limitations of early web browsers in terms of dynamic behavior and interactivity.
The creation of JavaScript by Netscape in 1995 to enable dynamic web pages.
The marketing strategy behind naming the new scripting language JavaScript, leveraging Java's popularity.
Microsoft's introduction of Internet Explorer and the ensuing browser war with Netscape.
Microsoft's development of JScript by reverse engineering Netscape's JavaScript.
The challenges developers faced due to differences between JavaScript and JScript implementations.
Netscape's submission of JavaScript to ECMA International for standardization in November 1996.
ECMA International's role as an industry association for standardizing information and communication systems.
The establishment of ECMA-262 as the standard specification for JavaScript and the creation of TC39.
The distinction between ECMAScript as the standard language and JavaScript as the practical implementation.
The release of ES2015 (ES6) as a significant milestone introducing modern JavaScript features.
The interchangeable use of the terms ECMAScript and JavaScript despite their technical differences.
The advice to treat ECMAScript as JavaScript for the purpose of the series without getting sidetracked.
The summary of key points: ECMA-262 as the language specification, ECMAScript as the implementing language, and JavaScript as the familiar language built on ECMAScript.
Invitation to join the next video about Chrome's V8 engine.
Transcripts
welcome everyone to section one of the
series where the focus is on
understanding the definition of node.js
before we try to understand what is a
JavaScript runtime environment though
let's try to understand a few other
Concepts that lay the foundation
kind of like video games where you
defeat small bosses and use that
experience to defeat the big boss
all right for our first concept or
terminology we're going to understand
what is ecmascript
and for this we need to go back in time
in 1993 the first web browser with a
user interface called Mosaic was
released
in 1994 the lead developers of Mosaic
founded a company called Netscape and
released a more polished browser called
Netscape Navigator
although it became increasingly popular
it lacked the capability for dynamic
Behavior
web pages could only be static and there
was no interactivity after a page was
loaded
to address this in 1995 Netscape created
a new scripting language called
JavaScript
the name was purely for marketing
purpose as Java was the hot new language
back then
during the same time in 1995 Microsoft
debuted their browser Internet Explorer
this led to a browser war with Netscape
Microsoft soon realized that JavaScript
fundamentally changed the user
experience of the web and wanted the
same for Internet Explorer
but there was no specification for them
to follow
in order to match netscape's JavaScript
in 1996 Microsoft reverse engineered the
Navigator interpreter to create its own
scripting language called jscript
jscript filled the same use case as
JavaScript but its implementation was
different
this unfortunately created a problem
the differences made it difficult for
developers to make their websites work
well in both browsers
in fact the two implementations were so
different that best viewed in Netscape
and best viewed in Internet Explorer
badges became common for most companies
who couldn't afford to build for both
implementations
to resolve this in November 1996
Netscape submitted JavaScript to ecma
International
now what is ecma international
well it is an industry Association
dedicated to the standardization of
information and communication systems
Netscape wanted a standard specification
that all browser vendors could conform
to as it would help keep other
implementations consistent across
browsers
now for each new specification ecma
provides a standard specification and a
committee
in case of JavaScript the standard is
called Eggman 262 and the committee that
works on ik1262 is called technical
committee 39 or tc39 for short
tecma however decided to use the term
ecmascript to talk about the official
language
the reason for this is because Oracle
who acquired Microsystems owns the
trademark for the term JavaScript
so ecmascript refers to the standard
language whereas JavaScript is what we
use in practice and builds on top of
ecmascript
over the years we've had many versions
of ecmascript released as you can see
es2015 also known as es6 is the version
that provides what we call Modern
JavaScript features and has become a
prerequisite for developing with
JavaScript
now here's the funny bit
although ecmascript and JavaScript are
technically not the same the two words
are often used interchangeably
and to be honest for the purpose of the
series it does not make a huge
difference
whenever you see the word ecmascript you
can think of it as JavaScript
I do not want you to get sidetracked
trying to research on what is ecmascript
and how is it different from JavaScript
this video has hopefully made that clear
to summarize
like my 262 is the language
specification
ecmascript is a language that implements
ekma 262
JavaScript is basically ecmascript at
its core but Builds on top of that
for the rest of the series it is safe to
treat ecmascript as JavaScript which is
the language we all are familiar with
if this first concept is clear join me
in the next video where we will learn
about Chrome's V8 engine
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