ECMAScript version history
Versions of a JavaScript standard
ECMAScript is a JavaScript standard developed by Ecma International. Since 2015, major versions have been published every June.
ECMAScript 2025, the 16th and current version, was released in June 2025.
Versions
In June 2004, Ecma International published ECMA-357 standard, defining an extension to ECMAScript, known as ECMAScript for XML (E4X). Ecma also defined a "Compact Profile" for ECMAScript – known as ES-CP, or ECMA 327 – that was designed for resource-constrained devices, which was withdrawn in 2015.
4th edition (abandoned)
The proposed 4th edition of ECMA-262 (ECMAScript 4 or ES4) would have been the first major update to ECMAScript since the 3rd edition was published in 1999. The specification (along with a reference implementation) was originally targeted for completion by October 2008. The first draft was dated February 1999. An overview of the language was released by the working group on 23 October 2007.
By August 2008, the ECMAScript 4th edition proposal had been scaled back into a project code named ECMAScript Harmony.
The public source identifies “ECMAScript version history” as versions of a JavaScript standard. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around ECMAScript, version and history.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “ECMAScript version history”, the useful work is to connect “versions of a JavaScript standard” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q115826544. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2015, 2025, 2004 and 1999.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “ECMAScript version history”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow ECMAScript version history primary sources, ECMAScript version history archive and ECMAScript research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “ECMAScript version history”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “ECMAScript version history” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.