Exploring JavaScript and related languages : a comparative analysis with TypeScript, CoffeeScript, ActionScript, Dart, and Elm

Abstract

In the contemporary world of web software development, JavaScript remains the most popular language. This thesis examines the history, popularity, and unique characteristics of JavaScript itself and related languages: TypeScript, CoffeeScript, ActionScript, Dart, and Elm. The findings reveal that while JavaScript retains its dominance, languages like TypeScript and Dart have emerged as strong contenders, catering to large-scale and mobile applications respectively. Meanwhile, once-prominent languages like CoffeeScript and ActionScript have seen their decline in usage, primarily due to the introduction of similar native JavaScript features and the phasing out of Flash. Elm's functional nature introduces a new approach to front-end development, focusing on stability and predictability. Through insights from both the community and industry, this study provides a holistic view on the relationship between developers' preferences, organizational needs, and technological progression. This research offers strategic recommendation to developers, enterprises, and academia in their future web development ventures. Moreover, it highlights the significance of programming language diversity in keeping the software sector agile and innovative, indicating how web languages evolve in response to the shifting demands of web development.