Versions of JavaScript

JavaScript evolves through ECMAScript (ES) versions, each bringing new features to the language. Here’s a timeline of major updates.

ES3 (1999) – The Foundation

Introduced features like try...catch, switch, and do...while. This was the first widely adopted version of JavaScript.

ES5 (2009) – The Game Changer

• Strict mode: "use strict"
• Array methods: map(), filter(), reduce()
• JSON support

ES6 / ES2015 – The Modern Era Begins

• let and const
• Arrow functions: () => {}
• Template literals: `Hello ${name}`
• Destructuring, Classes, Modules
• Promises

ES7 to ES13 (2016–2022)

• ES7: includes(), exponentiation operator **
• ES8: async/await, Object.entries()
• ES9: Rest/spread for objects, Promise.finally()
• ES10: flat(), trimStart(), trimEnd()
• ES11: Optional chaining ?., Nullish coalescing ??
• ES12: replaceAll(), logical assignment operators
• ES13: Top-level await, static class blocks

ES2023 & Beyond

• Array.findLast(), Array.findLastIndex()
• Set operations: union(), intersection(), etc.
• Explicit resource management with using

Why It Matters

Understanding JavaScript versions helps you write cleaner, modern code and stay up-to-date with best practices.

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