Why is JavaScript called JavaScript, since it has nothing to do with Java?
JavaJavascriptJava Problem Overview
Since JavaScript is not derived from Java, why does it have "Java" in the name?
Java Solutions
Solution 1 - Java
From an interview made to its creator Brendan Eich:
>InfoWorld: As I understand it, JavaScript started out as Mocha, then became LiveScript and then became JavaScript when Netscape and Sun got together. But it actually has nothing to do with Java or not much to do with it, correct? > >Eich: That’s right. It was all within six months from May till December (1995) that it was Mocha and then LiveScript. And then in early December, Netscape and Sun did a license agreement and it became JavaScript. And the idea was to make it a complementary scripting language to go with Java, with the compiled language.
Solution 2 - Java
JavaScript was originally named Mocha, later it was renamed to LiveScript, and then to JavaScript.
The LiveScript to JavaScript name change came because Netscape and Sun did a license agreement.
The language was then submitted for standarization to the ECMA International Organization. By that time, Netscape didn't allow the use of the "JavaScript" name, so the standarized language is named ECMAScript.
JavaScript isn't actually an open name. It is currently a trademark of Oracle (formerly Sun).
There still a lot of confusion, some people still think that JavaScript, JScript, and ECMAScript are three different languages.
ECMAScript is the "standards" name for the language.
JavaScript is technically a "dialect" of ECMAScript, the Mozilla Foundation can use "JavaScript" as the name of their implementations (currently present on the Rhino and SpiderMonkey engines).
In the early days, Microsoft decided also to do what Netscape was doing on their own browser, and they developed JScript, which is also an ECMAScript dialect, but was named in this way to avoid trademark issues.
Solution 3 - Java
Java is to Javascript what Car is to Carpet.
> "The language's name is the result of a co-marketing deal between Netscape and Sun, in exchange for Netscape bundling Sun's Java runtime with their then-dominant browser."
>
>- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JavaScript#History
Solution 4 - Java
It was originally called Mocha, renamed to LiveScript, and then renamed to JavaScript. JavaScript itself is a trademark of Sun Microsystems -- the official standard is just called ECMAScript.
Further confusing the matter, Microsoft has decided to call their version JScript. JScript is not at all related to J++, a Microsoft-implemented Java whose name undoubtedly is designed to cause confusion with C++.
Solution 5 - Java
The project was originally called Mocha, then renamed to LiveScript, and finally to JavaScript when Netscape and Sun did a license agreement. The idea at the time was to make it a scripting language complimentary to Java.
Solution 6 - Java
We were obsessed with naming things after coffee in the 90's.
I know... what were we thinking?!
Solution 7 - Java
It was a marketing ploy cooked up by Netscape since Java was the big buzz word at the time. Originally it was called LiveScript. Which was probably a better name in hindsight.
Solution 8 - Java
The language has similarities to C-adjecents to which Java counts aswell.
It was first named Mocha but later renamed to LiveScript and finally to JavaScript due to marketing reasons. To accomodate the Java trend during that time there was an interface between LiveScript and Java called LiveConnect. This connection was intented to be expressed with the new name "JavaScript".
Solution 9 - Java
It's just a historical mistake. (and according to me there's no real valid reason to name JavaScript as JavaScript)
They have similar names because market was crazy about these new technologies when they were starting to come out (actually Netscape was about to include Java inside Netscape) and they accidentally chose to change LiveScript name to JavaScript. I wrote accidentally because they have nothing in common (apart from being two programming languages) so there's no a real, analytic reason for this similarity.
Solution 10 - Java
At the time Javascript or Livescript was launched into market the Sun MicroSystems was busy with the java creation so they named it as javascript. Also it uses some basic construts of the java.