The A-Z of Programming Languages jumps to Javascript

As part of Computerworld's series on "The A-Z of Programming Languages", Brendan Eich gave another interview on the state of Javascript and its history. It turned out to be one of the better ones.

Nothing new, except for the shifted timeline projection for ES3.1 and ES4, which Brendan now predicts to be Spring '09 for 3.1, with ES4 possibly being delayed until 2011. Since in the world of Javascript "implementation" comes before "standardization", this may not be as much of a change as it seems.

Anyway, if you haven't already, you may want to fly over it here .

31.7.2008, 21:10

Fresh Javascript IDE in Ganymede Eclipse release

I just tried the new Ganymede Eclipse release , which includes JSDT, the fresh JavaScript IDE as part of the new 3.0 version of the Web Tools Project. Previously, I have been using the JSEclipse plugin because it was much snappier than the Javascript support in the WTP. According to my first impression with Ganymede, Javascript editing seems snappier compare to previous WTP versions I've tried, but still slower then JSEclipse, so I'm not yet sure whether I will stick with the new JSDT or install the JSEclipse plugin again.

Unfortunately, the JSDT doesn't have E4X support yet, that would have been a big selling point for me. On the plus side, it offers some pretty nifty code validation capabilities, making sure that objects and properties are defined, and which works over multiple files, similar to IntelliJ. Bending the code validation and completion features to work right for Helma development would be no trivial task, I'm sure, which makes these cool features less attractive for server-side Javascript development.

28.6.2008, 10:46

Helma at the Linuxwochen in Linz

This weekend Anton Pirker will give a small introduction session to Helma at the Linuxwochen in Linz, Austria. The presentation will be tomorrow Saturday, June 28th at 12:00 at the Kunstuniversität Linz in Saal 1.

27.6.2008, 18:37

Brendan on the state of Javascript evolution

In this short interview , Brendan Eich repeats some of his comments regarding the positions of TC-39 TG1 members on ECMAScript 3.1 and ECMAScript 4, and the delivery of the latter in stealth mode to IE users via ScreamingMonkey and Adobe.

24.6.2008, 15:16

Is AppleScript done?

Daniel Jalkut sees the advent of SquirrelFish as an opportunity for Apple to dump AppleScript in favor of Javascript . The idea of using Javascript as a replacement for the AppleScript scripting language in OSX is nothing new. Late Night Software's Javascript OSA has offered that ability for many years already. Daniel's point is that Apple could do a better job at integrating Javascript with the Open Scripting Architecture.

I don't really see SquirrelFish as a factor in this, but certainly agree with the general sentiment. Yes, AppleScript may be more approachable for non-programmers, but Apple now has Automator for that purpose and fighting Javascript is a loosing battle anyway: Javascript will be the lingua franca for scripting purposes anywhere.

16.6.2008, 0:01

ES4 Draft 1 and ES3.1 Draft 1

In recent days, new partial drafts for the upcoming ECMAScript specs have become available. Parts of the ECMAScript 4 spec draft were previously spread all over the email archives. Nice to have them compiled in one place. The ECMAScript 3.1 spec draft wasn't available at all before, as far as I'm aware.

12.6.2008, 14:48

Want ES4 in Helma today?

Then take the just released Mascara Javascript 2 to Javascript 1 converter written in Python, run it using Jython on the Java Virtual Machine, and invoke it using Rhino inside of Helma, evaluating the results. Ok, now my head hurts.

11.6.2008, 23:30

SquirrelFish!

SquirrelFish! It's a new bytecode interpreter in Apple's JavaScriptCore inspired by Lua . While the switch to a bytecode interpreter brings Apple's Javascript engine more in line with the engines of Mozilla and Adobe, there are still some different approaches in SquirrelFish compared to the Tamarin based ActionMonkey project (which will replace SpiderMonkey in the future).

9.6.2008, 13:09

>>> Permaculture 101

> ES4 comes to IE via Screaming Monkey
> Apple's position on ECMAScript 4 proposals
> Helma Meeting Spring 2008
> Attila Szegedi about Rhino, Helma and Server-Side Javascript, and scripting on the JVM in general
> Helma 1.6.2 ready to download
> Larry Lessig's case for creative freedom
> Earthlings - Can you face the truth?
> The Story of Stuff
> A Quick Start to Hello World
> The Overlooked Power of Javascript
> Adobe's position on ES4 features, plus the Flex 3 SDK source code is now available under the MPL
> Solar cell directly splits water for hydrogen
> Asynchronous Beer and Geeking and other opportunities to talk about Helma, Rhino and Javascript on the server-side
> Openmocha and Jhino updated to 0.8
> Even more Server-side Javascript with Jaxer
> e4xd and jhino - javascript server-side soft-coding
> Additional Filename Conventions
> Update to Helma 1.6.1
> Netscape, the browser, to live one more month
> SimpleDB vs CouchDB
> Helma powered AppJet - Takeoff!
> CouchDB for Helma
> Bubble bursting friendship bracelets
> Evolving ES4 as the universal scripting language
> Helmablog and an article in Linux Pro Magazine
> More praise for Helma
> Javascript as Universal Scripting Language
> So, what's up with World Radio Switzerland?
> Helma Conspiracy Theory
> JSONPath and CouchDB
> Hold the whole program in your head, and you can manipulate it at will
> Keeping track of localhost:8080
> Rhino 1.6R6 with E4X fix and patches for Helma
> Helma 1.6 is ready!
> Junction brings Rhino on Rails to Helma
> Javascript for Java programmers
> The server-side advantage
> John Resig on Javascript as a language
> Rhino on Rails
> Release Candidate 3 of Helma 1.6.0
> ECMAScript 4 Reference Implementation
> Antville Summer Of Code 2007
> Helma 1.6.0-rc2
> Using H2 with Helma
> Helma warped around existing db schemas
> Rocket the Super Rabbit
> Bootstrap is out of the bag
> The last mention of Microsoft
> Helma 1.6.0-rc1
> Introducing Planet Helma
> Helma ante portas
> Fixing Javascript inheritance
> Shutdown-Day the Helma way
> Upcoming Helma 1.6, new reference docs and IRC channel
> Making Higgs where the Web was born
> Jala for Helma
> See you at Lift'07
> More on Javascript Inheritance
> Mocha Inheritance
> Helma 1.5.3
> Fresh Rhino on Safari
> Truly Hooverphonic!
> Helma 1.5.2
> RFC 4329 application-ecmascript
> Helma 1.5.1 ready to download
> Aptana - Eclipse reincarnated as a Javascript IDE
> Building the Conversational Web
> Drosera steps in to debug Safari
> Helma 1.5.0 has been released!
> Helma 1.5 RC2 is ready
> Helma 1.5.0 Release Candidate 1 available for download
> FreeBSD Jails the brand new easy way
> Javascript 2 and the Future of the Web
> Frodo takes on chapter 3
> No Rough Cut :-(
> Welcome to Helma!
> 40th Montreux Jazz Festival
> trackAllComments
> Rails' greatest contribution
> Consensus vs Direct Democracy
> A candidate for CSCSJS or a Mocha Fetchlet
> A (Re)-Introduction to JavaScript
> coComment Roundup
> Track your comments
> Sketching image queries and reinventing email
> ECMAScript - The Switzerland of development environments
> I love E4X
> Tutorial D, Industrial D and the relational model
> Stop bashing Java
> E4X Mocha Objects
> Logging and other antimatters
> Stronger types in Javascript 2
> Javascript Diagnosis & Testing
> Homo Oxymora
> Yeah, why not Javascript?
> Moving beyond Java
> Spidermonkey Javascript 1.5 finally final
> Helma Trivia
> Finding Java Packages
> JSEclipse Javascript plug-in for Eclipse
> Catching up to Continuations
> Mighty and Beastie Licenses
> Tasting the OpenMocha Console
> "Who am I?", asks Helma
> Savety vs Freedom and other recent ramblings
> Mont-Soleil Open Air Lineup
> Rhinola - Mocha reduced to the minimum
> OpenMocha 0.6 available for download
> E4X presentation by Brendan Eich
> What is Mocha?
> Do you remember Gopher?
> The current.tv disappointment
> OpenMocha Project Roadmap
> MochiKit Javascript Library
> Getting your feet wet with OpenMocha
> People flocking to see global warming
> Rails vs Struts vs Mocha
> The JavaScript Manifesto
> OpenMocha is ready for a spin
> The limits of harmonization
> Le Conseil fédéral au Mont-Soleil
> Amiga History Guide
> The people must lead the executive, control the legislature and be the military
> Copyback License
> Looking at FreeBSD 6 and Beyond
> Qualified Minority Veto
> The Doom of Representative Democracy
> Violence in a real democracy
> Concordance and Subsidiarity
> Wrapping Aspects around Mocha Objects?
> Future of Javascript Roadmap
> Baby steps towards Javascript heaven
> Mac OS X spreading like wildfire
> Trois petits filous à Faoug
> Jackrabbit JSR 170
> Rich components for HTML 5
> More Java Harmony
> Mac goes Intel
> Google goes Rumantsch
> Oxymoronic Swiss-EU relations
> Rico and Prototype Javascript libraries
> Paul Klee - An intangible man and artist
> Incrementalism in the Mozilla roadmap
> Mocha multi-threading
> Moving towards OpenMocha
> Google goes Portal
> What Bush doesn't get
> Unique and limited window of opportunity
> Persisting Client-side Errors to your Server
> Dive Into Greasemonkey
> Brown bears knock on Switzerland's door
> The experience to make what people want
> "Just" use HTTP
> Yes, what is gather?
> A Free Song for Every Swiss Citizen
> Java in Harmony
> Jan getting carried away
> Evil Google Web Accelerator?
> JSON.stringify and JSON.parse
> Ajax for Java
> The launching of launchd
> Timeless RSS
> Kupu
> SNIFE goes Victorinox
> AJAX is everywhere
> Papa Ratzi
> How Software Patents Work
> Ten good practices for writing Javascript
> Free-trade accord with japan edges closer
> Mocha at a glance
> Adobe acquires Macromedia
> Safari 1.3
> View complexity is usually higher than model complexity
> Free Trade Neutrality
> SQL for Java Objects
> Security Bypass
> Exactly 1111111111 seconds
> Kurt goes Chopper
> Choosing a Java scripting language
> Spamalot's will get spammed a lot
> The visual Rhino debugger
> The Unix wars
> EU-Council adopts software patent directive
> FreeBSD baby step "1j"
> Never trust a man who can count to 1024 on his fingers
> Visiting the world's smallest city
> Finally some non-MS, non-nonsense SPF news
> Swiss cows banned from eating grass
> Ludivines, the "Green Fairy" of absinthe
> First Look At Solaris 10
> EU Commission Declines Patent Debate Restart
> Alan Kay's wisdom guiding the OpenLaszlo roadmap towards Mocha?
> 1 Kilo
> Re: FreeBSD logo design competition
> Schweizer Sagen
> Europas Eidgenossen
> XMLHttpRequest glory
> Art Nouveau La Chaux-de-Fonds 2005-2006
> The Beastie Silhouette
> The Number One Nightmare
> Safe and Idempotent Methods such as HEAD and TRACE
> Sorry, you have been verizoned.
> Daemons and Pixies and Fairies, Oh My!
> Sentient life forms as MIME-attachments: RFC 1437
> Anno 2004: CZV
> Web Developer Extension for Firefox
> Refactoring until nothing is left
> Brendan, never tired of providing Javascript support
> Catching XP in just 20 Minutes
> Designing the Star User Interface
> Rhino, Mono, IKVM. Or: JavaScript the hard way
> Re: SCO
> Judo
> Convergence on abstraction and on browser-based Console evaluation
> Today found out that inifinite uptimes are still an oxymoron
> New aspects of woven apps
> Original Contribution License (OCL) 1.0
> Unified SPF: a grand unified theory of MARID
> BSD is designed. Linux is grown.
> 5 vor 12 bei 10 vor 10
> Mocha vs Helma?
> Schattenwahrheit: Coup d'etat underway against the Cheney Circle?
> Abschluss Bilaterale II Schweiz-EU
> From Adam Smith to Open Source
> Linux - the desktop for the rest of them
> Big Bang
> Leaky Hop Objects
> Return Path Rewriting (RPR) - Mail Forwarding in the Spam Age
> Microsoft Discloses Huge Number Of Windows Vulnerabilties
> Steuerungsabgabe statt Steuern
> Anno 2003: deployZone
> The war against terror
> The war against terror (continued)
> The relativity of Apple's market share
> Are humans animals?
> Server-side Javascript
> Anno 1999: Der Oberhasler
> Anno 1998: crossnet
> Think different
> Geschwindigkeit vs Umdrehungszahl
> Anno 1997: Xmedia
> "The meaning of life is to improve the quality of all life"
> Anno 1996: CZV
> Searching Gopherspace
> How do I set a DEFAULT HTML-DOCUMENT?
> Crossnet - der kollektive Intellekt der Schweiz
> Global Screen Design Services
> NEW-LIST digests
> ACTIV-L Digest
> Eternal September
> AOL expanding Internet services
> Anno 1993: Macro-micro navigator
> Anno 1992: Intouch i-station
> Anno 1991: mediacube
> Anno 1990: RasterOps
> Anno 1989: Lambada by Kaoma
> Anno 1988: Perfect by Fairground Attraction
> Acorn Archimedes RISC Technology
> Anno-1986:-Max-Headroom-in-the-News
> Anno 1985: Amiga 1000
> Hello World on C128 in CP/M Mode
> Anno 1982: Vic-20
> The Future Is Unwritten
> Anno 1968: Mony Mony and People Got to Be Free
> August 28th 1968: William Buckley Vs Gore Vidal



server-side javascript
sovereignty, subsidiarity,
solidarity and sustainability

Chris Zumbrunn's Mochazone
> Good for Adobe, Good for Day, Good for the Ecosystem
> Will Adobe see the light (of Day)?
> What's Up Doc? by Carbon/Silicon
> How creativity occurs
> RingoJS vs NodeJS
> Sweet People by Alyosha
> RingoJS 0.5 released
> Your Personal Religion by Sophie Hunger
> Lost and Found by Steve Mason
> RhinoJS
> Server-Side Javascript since... way back: RingoJS!
> Modules, Proxies, and Ephemeron Tables
> Helma 1.7.0 has escaped its stealth existence
> The Moon And The Sky by Sade
> Written In Reverse by Spoon
> Keep Cool My Babies!
> Module system strawpersons
> You find what you google for.
> Move your money - It's a Wonderful Life
> ServerJS - Brewing The Perfect Storm
> While society must do things the right way, its people must find ways to do the right thing
> CommonJS effort sets JavaScript on path for world domination
> ServerJS - putting Javascript to work on the *other* side
> Eating healthier would safe the planet
> JVM Web Framework Smackdown
> Before implementing a solution to a problem, always search for a workaround, because the workaround is often better than the original solution
> If they are not ready for what they need, give them the backbone for their future baby steps
> Been there, but haven't done that
> Unus Pro Omnibus - Omnes Pro Uno
> Hang You From the Heavens by The Dead Weather
> Web-based editing of sandboxed server-side javascript apps
> PubSubHub against spam and walled gardens
> CometD at a glance
> Be part of the solution, not part of the problem
> Get Around by Neil Young
> Surrender by Cheap Trick
> A car has nothing to do with a carpet
> ES5 Candidate Specification
> ReverseHttp and RelayHttp
> The best solution is that one isn't needed
> New Eclipse Helma plugin project
> Is the Bespin web-based code editor the ideal future ServerJS IDE?
> Server-Side Javascript Standard Library
> First Soleil on Mont-Soleil
> Helma turns 1.6.3
> Helma 1.6.3-rc3 ready for testing
> Helma 1.6.3 Release Candidate 2
> Release Candidate 1 of Helma 1.6.3
> Helma at the 2008 OpenExpo in Zurich
> Large Hadron Collider
> Ecmascript Harmony
> The A-Z of Programming Languages jumps to Javascript
> Fresh Javascript IDE in Ganymede Eclipse release
> Helma at the Linuxwochen in Linz
> Brendan on the state of Javascript evolution
> Is AppleScript done?
> ES4 Draft 1 and ES3.1 Draft 1
> Want ES4 in Helma today?
> SquirrelFish!
> More >>>