Posts Tagged ‘APL’
[DevoxxBE2024] How JavaScript Happened: A Short History of Programming Languages
In an engaging session at Devoxx Belgium 2024, Mark Rendle traced the evolution of programming languages leading to JavaScript’s creation in 1995. Titled “How JavaScript Happened: A Short History of Programming Languages,” the talk blended humor and history, from Ada Lovelace’s 1840s program to JavaScript’s rapid development for Netscape Navigator 2.0. Despite a brief battery scare during the presentation, Rendle’s storytelling and FizzBuzz examples across languages captivated the audience, offering insights into language design and JavaScript’s eclectic origins.
The Dawn of Programming
Rendle began in the 1830s with Ada Lovelace, who wrote the first program for Charles Babbage’s unbuilt Analytical Engine, introducing programming notation 120 years before computers existed. The 1940s saw programmable machines like Colossus, built to crack German ciphers, and ENIAC, programmed by women who deciphered its operation without manuals. These early systems, configured via patch cables, laid the groundwork for modern computing, though programming remained labor-intensive.
The Rise of High-Level Languages
The 1950s marked a shift with Fortran, created by John Backus to simplify machine code translation for IBM’s 701 mainframe. Fortran introduced if statements, the asterisk for multiplication (due to punch card limitations), and the iterator variable i, still ubiquitous today. ALGOL 58 and 60 followed, bringing block structures, if-then-else, and BNF grammar, formalized by Backus. Lisp, developed by John McCarthy, introduced first-class functions, the heap, and early garbage collection, while Simula pioneered object-oriented programming with classes and inheritance.
From APL to C and Beyond
Rendle highlighted APL’s concise syntax, enabled by its unique keyboard and dynamic typing, influencing JavaScript’s flexibility. The 1960s and 70s saw BCPL, B, and C, with C introducing curly braces, truthiness, and the iconic “hello world” program. Smalltalk added reflection, virtual machines, and the console, while ML introduced functional programming concepts like arrow functions. Scheme, a simplified Lisp, directly influenced JavaScript’s initial design as a browser scripting language, shaped to compete with Java applets.
JavaScript’s Hasty Creation
In 1995, Brendan Eich created JavaScript in ten days for Netscape Navigator 2.0, initially as a Scheme-like language with a DOM interface. To counter Java applets, it adopted a C-like syntax and prototypal inheritance (inspired by Self), as classical inheritance wasn’t feasible in Scheme. Rendle humorously speculated on advising Eich to add static typing and classical inheritance, noting JavaScript’s roots in Fortran, ALGOL, Lisp, and others. Despite its rushed origins, JavaScript inherited a rich legacy, from Fortran’s syntax to Smalltalk’s object model.
The Legacy and Future of JavaScript
Rendle concluded by reflecting on JavaScript’s dominance, driven by its browser integration, and its ongoing evolution, with features like async/await (from C#) and proposed gradual typing. He dismissed languages like COBOL and Pascal for lacking influential contributions, crediting BASIC for inspiring programmers despite adding little to language design. JavaScript, a synthesis of 70 years of innovation, continues to evolve, shaped by decisions from 1955 to today, proving no language is immune to historical influence.
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Hashtags: #JavaScript #ProgrammingHistory #MarkRendle #DevoxxBE2024