# A more clear definition of EcmaScript as programming language, and not as a spec

**URL:** <https://es.discourse.group/t/a-more-clear-definition-of-ecmascript-as-programming-language-and-not-as-a-spec/364>\
**Category:** 💡 Ideas\
**Created:** [June 17, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://es.discourse.group/t/a-more-clear-definition-of-ecmascript-as-programming-language-and-not-as-a-spec/364 "2020-06-17T05:06:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mattechpro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@mattechpro](https://es.discourse.group/u/mattechpro)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://es.discourse.group/t/a-more-clear-definition-of-ecmascript-as-programming-language-and-not-as-a-spec/364/1 "2020-06-17T05:06:52Z")

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_ **Alert: English is not my native language, then please pardon my grammar and vocabulary, or any interpretation mistake** _

The EcmaScript is the programming language specified in the ECMA-262 document, and is inspired in JavaScript and JScript (inpired in, not the same thing), right?

If yes, I would like to make the below suggestion:

Make this thing more clear in the ECMA-262 document, because much persons around the community use the term "JavaScript" to address the "EcmaScript", and use the term "EcmaScript" to address "ECMA-262".

Maybe an alert in the document saying clearly that EcmaScript, ECMA-262, and JavaScript are distinct things.

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**Author:** ![claudiameadows](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/es.discourse.group/claudiameadows/32/126_2.png) [@claudiameadows](https://es.discourse.group/u/claudiameadows)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://es.discourse.group/t/a-more-clear-definition-of-ecmascript-as-programming-language-and-not-as-a-spec/364/2 "2020-06-18T01:46:01Z")

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Not a TC39 member, but IIRC it's for legal reasons why the spec defines it as ECMAScript and not JavaScript.

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**Author:** ![michael](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/es.discourse.group/michael/32/11_2.png) [@michael](https://es.discourse.group/u/michael)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://es.discourse.group/t/a-more-clear-definition-of-ecmascript-as-programming-language-and-not-as-a-spec/364/3 "2020-06-18T21:47:34Z")

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ECMAScript is the language defined within ECMA-262, the document maintained by TC39. JavaScript is a trademarked name that is colloquially used to refer to ECMAScript. That first bit is clear from the Introduction section of ECMA-262. I don't think the second part is appropriate for inclusion in the spec, more like something for Wikipedia.