What is JavaScript?
JavaScript (JS) is a lightweight, interpreted, single-threaded, dynamic language with object-oriented capabilities.JavaScript is most commonly used as a part of web pages, whose implementations allow client-side scripts to interact with the user and make dynamic pages.
Lightweight: languages that use very less memory to execute.
Interpreted: languages that are converted to executable code directly without earlier compiling a program into machine language, at “run time” by an interpreter program (which is an executable program written previously in a compiled language).
Single-threaded: only one line of code can be executed at any given time.JS can also perform asynchronously i.e running multiple pieces of code parallelly.
Dynamic: languages where the interpreter assigns variables a type at runtime based on the variable's value at that moment.
Object-oriented programming: is a way of thinking about and organizing code for maximum reusability
JavaScript was invented by Brendan Eich in 1995. It was developed for Netscape 2(a browser).JavaScript was first named LiveScript, but the name was changed to JavaScript, possibly because Java became very popular during those years.
Java and JavaScript are different languages.
Why is JavaScript famous?
JavaScript is one of the most famous language.JavaScript is the programming language of the Web because it makes the webpages interactive. It is often used with HTML, CSS to make the webpages interactive, without JS most of the webpages will be static.
You can create front-end, back-end of web app,mobile apps,desktop apps, games, server applications, art, etc.
That is why JavaScript is popular.
ECMAScript? How is it different from JavaScript?
What is ECMA international?
ECMA international is an association that releases standardization of various technologies in IT and telecommunications.
They released a standard for how a general-purpose scripting language should be for the first time in JUNE 1997 called ECMA 262. This standard had the specifications of how a general-purpose scripting language should be. It's simply a document.
ECMAScript
The specifications mentioned in this standard(or document you can say)is called ECMAScript. In simple words, ECMAScript is the blueprint of how a scripting language should be.
Javascript is a scripting language that follows the blueprint.
In a nutshell: javascript is a scripting language that implements the ECMAScript specifications as described in ECMA 262 document/standard released by ECMA international.
ES means ECMAscript.ECMAScript also gets updated.
ES1->ECMAScript 1 =1st edition(1997) of ECMAScript.
ES6->ECMAScript 6= 6th version of ECMAScript(2015), and is also known as ECMAScript 2015. (this release is mostly followed today and brought major changes on how a scripting language should be)
ES7->ECMAscript 2016 and so on.
Where can I download JavaScript?
You don't have to get or download JavaScript.JavaScript is already running in your browser on your computer, on your tablet, and on your smartphone.JavaScript is free to use for everyone.