⚖️ JavaScript vs ECMAScript
JavaScript and ECMAScript are often used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same. Understanding the difference helps clarify how the language evolves and is implemented across platforms.
🟡 What is JavaScript?
- A scripting language primarily used in web development.
- Includes core language features + browser-specific APIs (like DOM, BOM, etc.).
- Implemented in browsers using engines (V8, SpiderMonkey, etc.).
- What developers actually write and use in websites.
🟢 What is ECMAScript?
- An official standard for scripting languages maintained by ECMA International.
- Defines the core language: variables, functions, control flow, objects, etc.
- Does not include browser-specific features (e.g.,
document,window). - Acts as the blueprint for JavaScript and other similar languages (like JScript).
📌 In Simple Terms:
ECMAScript is the standard, and JavaScript is the implementation of that standard (plus some additional features).
🆕 Major ECMAScript Versions:
- ES5 (2009): Strict mode, JSON support, array methods like
forEach,map, etc. - ES6 / ES2015:
let,const, arrow functions, classes, promises, modules. - ES2016+: Async/await, spread/rest operators, optional chaining, and more yearly updates.
When you hear terms like "ES6 features" or "ES2020 syntax", they refer to specific versions of the ECMAScript standard that modern JavaScript engines implement.


