JavaScript is a programming language used to make websites interactive.

Programming languages are used to tell a website or program what to do. Before the invention of JavaScript,

websites were more static, meaning that they were limited in what they could do. Users could

not interact with websites. JavaScript allows the user to interact with and manipulate certain

actions on a web page. It communicates with the website and tells it how to respond to

the decisions of the user. JavaScript is commonly used for polls and puzzles online and is built

into all the leading web browsers such as Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. It is also used in non-

Web-Based formats such as PDF files and desktop widgets. Though JavaScript is a complex

language, it usually plugged directly into web pages, so there is no need to learn how to use it.

History of JavaScript

In the early 1990s, Mosaic was the first major web browser that was widely employed in the

creation of Netscape Navigator was created by Netscape, which started out as the Mosaic

Communications Corporation in 1994. It was created by Jim Clark and Marc Andreessen, and

the name was later changed to Netscape. Throughout most of the 90s, Netscape Navigator was

the most widely used web browser. At that time, most websites were static and did not allow for

much user interaction.

In 1995, Brendan Eich, who was working as a systems engineer with Netscape, created what is

now known as JavaScript. It was influenced by programming languages such as self and

scheme, which allowed for user interaction with websites. The original name of the

programming language was Mocha. It was later changed to Live Script before the name

JavaScript was given. The final name was chosen due to the popularity of Java at the time.

Though the two programming languages share a similar name and may, at first glance appear

to be quite similar, there are many differences between the two. The goal of JavaScript

was to create a language that was more user-friendly and interactive.

There was a lot of competition between Netscape and Microsoft in 1995 with Microsoft’s

creation of internet explorer. A partnership took place between Netscape and Sun, which

created Java, to keep Microsoft from gaining control of JavaScript. They then began the

process of standardizing the language. Microsoft then came up with its version of

JavaScript called JS Script, which was released in 1996. In 1998 America Online (AOL) was

introduced and acquired Netscape and JavaScript along with it. It changed hands many other

times in the following years.

From its inception in 1995, JavaScript took off. It is now widely available in most web browsers

and Even in non-web- based programs. It has gone through many changes and trials. There were

many feuds between Sun, Navigator and other web browsers and developers, but JavaScript is

still widely used today. Over the years, as happens with technology, it has been changed and

further developed to accommodate changes and developments to web programs.

The most recent version of JavaScript released is JavaScript 1.8.5. It was published in 2010 and

includes many exciting features. Some of its latest updates include Expression closures,

Generators expressions, Array.prototype.reduce() and Array.prototype.reduceRight().Now a

word about each. Expression closures are a shorthand function syntax for writing the simple type of

features. Generators expressions allow you to create generators which otherwise you have to

create a custom function having a yield in it. The reduce() method applies a function to an

accumulator and each value of the array (left-to- right) to reduce it to a single value.

The reduceRight() method, applies a function against an accumulator and each value of the

array (right-to- left) has to reduce it to a single value.

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