From Simple Scripts to Machine Learning
JavaScript has grown in profile and popularity, with machine learning one domain where the programming language has found an unlikely home. As we reflect on 2020, it’s clear that JavaScript has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1995 as part of Netscape’s Navigator web browser.
The Early Days
JavaScript’s creators designed it to be easy to implement, powerful, and functional. It quickly established itself as a notable player in web development. In 1996, the standardization process began, and ECMA International named the standard ECMA-262. By this time, JavaScript had already established itself as a notable player in web development, with over 300,000 JavaScript-enabled pages across the nascent worldwide web.
The Rise of JavaScript
Standardization played a pivotal role in JavaScript’s growing profile, enabling developers to use it and giving them a voice in the evolution of the language itself. Standardized usage ensured consistency in implementation, stopping developers from deviating too far from specifications, which could have caused fragmentation and undermined JavaScript’s scalability.
ES6 and Beyond
The release of ES6 in 2015 marked a significant turning point for JavaScript. It introduced features such as default parameters, template literals, multi-line strings, destructuring assignment, and enhanced object literals. The release of Node.js in 2009 further cemented JavaScript’s position as a general-purpose language.
JavaScript in Machine Learning
JavaScript’s growth in machine learning is a relatively recent development. The global AI market was worth $156.5 billion in 2020, an increase of 12.3% from 2019. With JavaScript being the most popular programming language worldwide, it’s unlikely to fall by the wayside. Many libraries, such as TensorFlow, have been released for JavaScript, making it a popular choice for machine learning.
Shortcomings of JavaScript in Machine Learning
However, there are some shortcomings of using JavaScript in machine learning. For example, models won’t work offline, performance relies on the end user’s device, and code and models are publicly visible. The W3C is considering standardizing the Neural Network Web API to reduce computational issues and privacy issues.
Advantages of JavaScript in Machine Learning
Despite its shortcomings, JavaScript has several advantages, including ease of deployment, ubiquity, reach, mobile support, and lightweight design. It’s easy to gather and connect data from multiple sources, and it can access end-users via a pop-up without installing anything else.
What to Expect in 2021
JavaScript has reached a tipping point. We expect its usage to explode in 2021, with more comprehensive integrations of JavaScript-based solutions. Mobile platforms, server apps, and desktop applications will all benefit from improvements in the programming language. Statista predicts that JavaScript penetration will hit 53.7% globally.
Conclusion
JavaScript has come a long way since its humble beginnings. It’s easy to see why it’s grown in popularity, with its ease of use, ubiquity, and reach making it an attractive choice for many developers. As we look to the future, it’s clear that JavaScript will continue to be a major player in the world of programming.
FAQs
Q: What is JavaScript?
A: JavaScript is a programming language used for web development, created by Netscape in 1995.
Q: What is the standardization process for JavaScript?
A: The standardization process for JavaScript began in 1996, and ECMA International named the standard ECMA-262.
Q: What are some of the features of ES6?
A: ES6 introduced features such as default parameters, template literals, multi-line strings, destructuring assignment, and enhanced object literals.
Q: What is Node.js?
A: Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment that allows developers to run JavaScript on the server-side, making it a popular choice for web development.
