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History of JavaScript

JavaScript was created in 1995 by Brendan Eich while he was working at Netscape Communications Corporation. It was originally called Mocha, then LiveScript, before finally being named JavaScript to capitalize on the popularity of Java at the time.

Not until 2009 when NodeJs, (discussed shortly), was released, JavaScript was used predominantly (if not entirely) for building websites along with HTML and CSS.

What is NodeJS?

Every web browser has a JavaScript engine (also called a JavaScript interpreter or runtime), which makes it possible to programmatically control or modify a webpage. This is done through two major interfaces called the Document Object Model and the Browser Object Model. The JavaScript engine is also essential for the effective functioning of JavaScript frameworks and libraries like Vue, Angular, and React — which you have probably heard of.

In 2009, a man called Ryan Dahl created something that has since broadened the use of JavaScript. Ryan "extracted" the JavaScript engine from a browser and made it usable outside the browser. He called this creation NodeJS.

With NodeJS, it is now possible to use JavaScript for virtually anything.

In 2010, npm1 was created, making it possible to use other people's code, or code fragments also known as frameworks2, or libraries3 which they give out freely (Open Source Codes), thus increasing the strength of the JavaScript community.

Other important things to note are:

  1. 2010, ExpressJs A tool for building servers (backend)
  2. 2012, Typescript another programming language, modelled after JavaScript
  3. 2013, Electron - A tool for creating desktop applications
  4. 2015, React Native - A tool for building mobile applications and desktop applications JavaScript
  5. 2018, Deno Deno is a runtime for JavaScript, TypeScript, and WebAssembly that is based on the V8 JavaScript engine
  6. Bun Bun is a fast JavaScript runtime

The bottom line is: JavaScript has been around for almost three decades, and many have tried to replace it (pun intended). It is not going anywhere anytime soon, especially with its ever-increasing adoption.

  1. NPM stands for Node Package Manager. It's a free, open-source registry and command-line tool for JavaScript software packages ↩

  2. Frameworks are often used as the foundation for building apps for specific platforms. They can be likened to a skeleton — the structure is already there; you just fill in the details. ↩

  3. A library is a collection of pre-written code that programmers can use to create applications. A fitting analogy is a collection of fabrics, buttons, and threads that a seamstress keeps — with the right combination, you can make any dress. ↩