What is the difference between JavaScript and ECMAScript?

I'm not telling you anything new when I say that Javascript is a programming language, originally intended for the web and one of the most popular today.

But in reality, the definition above is wrong, because it's too imprecise. Let me explain:

• Javascript is above all a commercial name, a registered trademark
• The name "Javascript" doesn't designate a language, but rather the implementation of a language

Explanations

Created in 1995 in just 10 days by Brendan Eich for the Netscape browser, the language was first code-named "Mocha," then "LiveScript" before finally being renamed "Javascript."

The "Java" trademark was then held by Sun Microsystems and a commercial agreement was made between the two groups to allow Netscape to use the name "Javascript."

In 2010, Sun was bought by Oracle, which at the same time obtained the rights to use the commercial name.

With the development of programming languages interpreted by the browser, standardizing and unifying technologies quickly became necessary.

That's why the European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) wrote the first version of the ECMAScript 1 standard in June 1997 with the help of the ISO and the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission).

Since then, every web browser vendor has been working on their own implementations of the language, developing new features while still keeping up with the standard's evolutions (more or less quickly).

In summary

To put it briefly, "Javascript" is the commercial name of the implementation of the language interpreted by the browser and owned by Oracle, while the name ECMAScript designates the global language standard, managed by ECMA International and the ISO.

If the history behind Javascript intrigues you, I invite you to read my article written for the "language"'s 25th anniversary, gathering "7 things you didn't know about Javascript's history!"