Let’s go back in time:

In the beginning there was gas and dust cloud gathered around the now abandoned EcmaScript 4 specification (ES4).

For the record, EcmaScript is JavaScript for all practical purposes: EcmaScript is the standard, and JavaScript is the language.

The intention behind the ES4 movement was to better support certain features that other programming environments have been using, along with certain semantic changes, and performance improvements.

The result? The result was no different than what happens when you put a lot of bright minds with high egos into a room and tell them to settle on a subject: It was an ongoing chaos for five-or-so-years; eventually abandoning ES4, and finalizing ES5 as of June 2015.

As it turns out, in the land of JavaScript change is the only constant.  Even as I’m typing these lines, the JavaScript (i.e., EcmaScript) standards are evolving at a very rapid pace.

While we are in the midst of this ongoing evolution, putting too much emphasis on the theory would be somewhat akin to walking on thin ice.

Therefore, we will take a different approach:

In this book, you will find just enough theory, and lots of practical examples, use cases, tips, and tricks… that you can apply to real-life situations.

This does not, however, mean that we won’t cover all your bases:

When there is a need to drill down further, you will be presented with additional reference materials to follow up.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading “JavaScript on the Edge” as much as I enjoy writing it.

— 

May the source be with you!

Volkan.