Third Age of Javascript

Explore the evolution of JavaScript in this 29-minute conference talk from JSworld 2021. Dive into the three distinct ages of JavaScript, from its inception with Brendan Eich to the current Third Age. Examine the megatrends shaping the language's future, including ES Modules, polyglot tooling, collapsing layers, and the decline of Internet Explorer. Gain insights into the implications of these changes and how they will impact JavaScript development. Learn about key milestones in JavaScript's history, the formation of its ecosystem, and the shift in tooling. Understand the limitations and adoption of ES Modules, the rise of TypeScript, and the performance gains of new build tools like ESBuild. Discover how the language is evolving towards a universal virtual machine and what this means for developers.

Intro
Forming the language
Two Tracks
2008: The Oslo Meeting
2009: Annus Mirabilis
Forming the Ecosystem: Runtimes
Forming the Ecosystem: Build Tools
Forming the Ecosystem: Frameworks
The Shift Left in JS Tooling
Clearing Legacy Assumptions
What's an ES Module?
Limitations!
Adoption is Happening
The Assumptions
TypeScript Took Over
ESBuild Benchmarks
Rust Core
Ditch the JS Core Systems Core Scripting Shell
What Functions Belong Together?
Why are all these different things?
Collapsing Layers
The Birth & Death of JavaScript
The Universal Virtual Machine