As the new year looms, it's traditional for those of us who write to exhibit an uncanny ability to predict the
future. This week Harry at Sitepoint's PHP Blog posted his
PHP Predictions for 2005 including one of
particular interest to me: "Javascript will start to be taken seriously by many."
Similarly, Drew McLellan's Predictions for 2005 include "More
JavaScript" and more appropriate use of JavaScript. Roger Johansson's
Predictions and hopes also
include "More JavaScript".
So, beginning with my agreement with those three, here are my predictions for 2005:
-
JavaScript will be taken more seriously as a programming language, and as a Web language.
-
Much more widespread use of XMLHttpRequest, and more standards for using it appropriately.
-
More use of JavaScript outside the web, like Konfabulator.
-
Someone somewhere will release an implementation of JavaScript for a platform or device we haven't heard of yet.
-
There will be at least one major security scare related to JavaScript in 2005, and it will be completely unjustified.
-
More use of JavaScript for tasks that used to be a job for Flash.
-
Microsoft will release a new version of Internet Explorer that solves all of the major cross-browser problems with JavaScript, CSS, and XHTML. (The rest of these were so blindingly obvious I had to go out on a limb at least once.)
