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"Javascript" (was: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting?)

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John G Harris wrote:

> Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn wrote:
>> There is no „Javascript“:
> 
> When the program executes in Firefox it is a JavaScript program that is
> executing, by definition.

That is correct.

However, because there are now (at the latest since Google V8 JavaScript in 
2006 CE¹) several (but not all) ECMAScript implementations bearing the 
„JavaScript“ name, it appears to be prudent to include the vendor name in 
the implementation name if it contains „JavaScript“.  Thus, *Mozilla* 
JavaScript for what was *Netscape* JavaScript before 2002 CE².  (Therefore, 
the ECMAScript Support Matrix³ which considers both those implementations, 
uses Netscape/Mozilla JavaScript; so do I here on occasion.)

> When the program executes in Internet Explorer it is a JScript program
> that is executing, by definition.

Historically correct.  And a program with ECMAScript-based syntax that 
executes as part of ASP (.NET) is a JScript (.NET) program as well.

However, recently Microsoft begs to differ in the documentation of their 
client-side implementation⁴ (but not in their choosing the engine name, see 
the unchanged return value of “ScriptEngine()”).  It would be interesting to 
know if this is just an oversight in MSDN, or if they made a deal with 
Oracle that allows them to use Oracle’s “JavaScript” trademark.  Likewise 
for Google.
 
> Which language, then, is the program written in?

An ECMAScript-based programming language; which now is for practical 
purposes “an implementation of ECMAScript”, or “an ECMAScript (ES)
implementation” for short.  (That was easy.)

Your question is like asking in which programming language a program 
executable by the Bourne Shell, the POSIX shell, GNU bash, and dash; or 
executable by POSIX awk, GNU awk, and nawk; or executable by CPython, Jython 
and PyPy; or compilable with the GNU C, Microsoft C, and Borland C 
compilers, was or is written.

Obviously those are different and differing *implementations* as well.  But 
the difference *to them* here is that the name of the programming language 
and standard that Netscape/Mozilla JavaScript, Microsoft JScript, Google V8 
JavaScript, (still⁵) Opera ECMAScript, and KDE JavaScript, among *many* 
others, are implementations of⁶ does _not_ contain the same or a similar 
name; it does not bears the name “JavaScript”, nor “Javascript”, or 
“javascript”.  Like it or that programming language and standard was and is 
called – by Technical Committee 39 agreement, and subsequent Ecma 
International General Assembly vote – _ECMAScript_ (commonly abbreviated 
“ES”, see “es-discuss”⁷) instead.⁸

That name is precise and unambiguous enough that it should be adopted for 
general discussions about the aforementioned implementations.  (I can see 
this already happening in this newsgroup by statements of other people.)

________
¹ Morita, Hajime (2009-01-13). „Why Is the New Google V8 Engine So Fast?
  [Part 1]“. In: Nikkei Electronics Asia.  <http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/
  article/HONSHI/20090106/163615/> (visited on 2012-02-15).
² Mozilla.org and Contributors (2012). History of the Mozilla Project.
  http://www.mozilla.org/about/history.html (visited on 2012-02-15).
³ <http://PointedEars.de/es-matrix>
⁴ <http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hbxc2t98(v=vs.84).aspx>
  vs. <http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/
  system.web.mvc.html.formextensions(v=vs.108)?cs-save-lang=1bear
  &cs-lang=jscript#code-snippet-1>
  and <http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d1et7k7c(v=VS.94).aspx>
⁵ <http://business.opera.com/press/releases/general/opera-gears-up-at-300-
   million-users>
⁶ with the exception of now-irrelevant Netscape JavaScript 1.0, 1.1, and
  Microsoft JScript 1.0
⁷ <http://www.ecmascript.org/community.php>
⁸ Krill, Paul (2008-06-23). „JavaScript creator ponders past, future“.
  In: InfoWorld. Developer World. <http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-
  world/javascript-creator-ponders-past-future-704> (visited on
  2011-12-22).
-- 
PointedEars

Twitter: @PointedEars2
Please do not Cc: me. / Bitte keine Kopien per E-Mail.

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Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? Sergey Zakharov <sergzach@gmail.com> - 2013-04-10 12:37 -0700
  Re: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2013-04-11 00:02 +0200
    Re: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? Dr J R Stockton <reply1300@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2013-04-11 18:40 +0100
      Re: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2013-04-12 01:03 +0200
        Re: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? x@x.com (znôrt) - 2013-04-12 21:16 +0200
          Re: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? "Michael Haufe (TNO)" <tno@thenewobjective.com> - 2013-04-13 11:45 -0700
            Re: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? x@x.com (znôrt) - 2013-04-14 14:36 +0200
    Re: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? John G Harris <niam@jghnorth.org.uk.invalid> - 2013-04-15 09:27 +0100
      "Javascript" (was: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting?) Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2013-04-15 14:55 +0200
      Re: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? Dr J R Stockton <reply1300@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2013-04-16 18:09 +0100
  Re: Is an idea of website where users can compete with each other interesting? Sergey Zakharov <sergzach@gmail.com> - 2013-04-11 04:10 -0700

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