History of Javascript

Javascript was developed in 1996 and appeared as a server side language that accompanied the Netscape Internet browser. The basic idea behind the development of Javascript was to give web page builders a tool for creating more interactivity.

The Creator

Javascript was created by Brendan Eich, a programmer who worked for Netscape in the 1990s. Eich developed Javascript without the help of any other programmers and entertained great aspirations that it would one day revolutionize the Internet.

The Name

The original name of Javascript was actually "Livescript." However, this did not go over too well with the general programming public. As a marketing gimmick the name was changed to Javascript because of the popularity of the Java language at the time.

Copy/Paste

Since Javascript is a browser side language like HTML, it is possible to cut and paste. Part of the original marketing plan for language was to facilitate its dissemination throughout the web.

Superficial

Javascript gained popularity with users of web pages but had difficulty being accepted as a "real programming language." Most programmers viewed it as a superficial language without any significant application.

The Browser Wars

From 1996 to 1999 fierce competition took place between Netscape and Explorer in each other's bid to become the most popular browser. During this time both companies developed new technologies, such as CSS, that hampered Eich's hopes of revolutionizing the web with Javascript.

The Present Day

At present, Javascript is still being implemented on web pages to complete tasks that are more practical for a browser side language, such as form validation. For tasks that require secure transactions, such as password authentication or e-commerce, server side scripts, such as CGI and PHP, are preferred.

References

• Koch, P.P., (2006). PPK on JavaScript. New Riders.