Brendan Eich
Encyclopedia
Brendan Eich is a computer programmer and creator of the JavaScript
scripting language
. He is the chief technology officer at the Mozilla Corporation
.
in math and computer science at Santa Clara University
. He received his master's degree
in 1986 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
.
, working for seven years on operating system
and network code. He then worked for three years at MicroUnity Systems Engineering
writing microkernel and DSP
code, and doing the first MIPS
R4000 port of GCC
.
Eich is best known for his work on Netscape and Mozilla
. He started work at Netscape Communications Corporation in April 1995, working on JavaScript
(originally called Mocha, then called LiveScript) for the Netscape Navigator
web browser
. In 2010, he wrote about JavaScript: "JS had to “look like Java” only less so, be Java’s dumb kid brother or boy-hostage sidekick. Plus, I had to be done in ten days or something worse than JS would have happened".
He then helped found mozilla.org in early 1998, serving as chief architect. When AOL shut down the Netscape browser unit in July 2003, Eich helped spin out the Mozilla Foundation.
In August 2005, after serving as Lead Technologist and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Mozilla Foundation
, Eich became CTO
of the newly founded Mozilla Corporation
.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
scripting language
Scripting language
A scripting language, script language, or extension language is a programming language that allows control of one or more applications. "Scripts" are distinct from the core code of the application, as they are usually written in a different language and are often created or at least modified by the...
. He is the chief technology officer at the Mozilla Corporation
Mozilla Corporation
The Mozilla Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation that coordinates and integrates the development of Internet-related applications such as the Mozilla Firefox and SeaMonkey Navigator web browsers and the Mozilla Thunderbird email client by a growing global community of...
.
Education
Brendan Eich received his bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in math and computer science at Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
. He received his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1986 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
Career
Eich started his career at Silicon GraphicsSilicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
, working for seven years on operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
and network code. He then worked for three years at MicroUnity Systems Engineering
MicroUnity
MicroUnity is a private company located in Santa Clara, California. The company was one of the first promoting Mediaprocessors, that is, CPUs tailored for digital media such as digital video and digital audio streams.-Founders:...
writing microkernel and DSP
Digital signal processor
A digital signal processor is a specialized microprocessor with an architecture optimized for the fast operational needs of digital signal processing.-Typical characteristics:...
code, and doing the first MIPS
MIPS architecture
MIPS is a reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by MIPS Technologies . The early MIPS architectures were 32-bit, and later versions were 64-bit...
R4000 port of GCC
GNU Compiler Collection
The GNU Compiler Collection is a compiler system produced by the GNU Project supporting various programming languages. GCC is a key component of the GNU toolchain...
.
Eich is best known for his work on Netscape and Mozilla
Mozilla
Mozilla is a term used in a number of ways in relation to the Mozilla.org project and the Mozilla Foundation, their defunct commercial predecessor Netscape Communications Corporation, and their related application software....
. He started work at Netscape Communications Corporation in April 1995, working on JavaScript
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
(originally called Mocha, then called LiveScript) for the Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator was a proprietary web browser that was popular in the 1990s. It was the flagship product of the Netscape Communications Corporation and the dominant web browser in terms of usage share, although by 2002 its usage had almost disappeared...
web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
. In 2010, he wrote about JavaScript: "JS had to “look like Java” only less so, be Java’s dumb kid brother or boy-hostage sidekick. Plus, I had to be done in ten days or something worse than JS would have happened".
He then helped found mozilla.org in early 1998, serving as chief architect. When AOL shut down the Netscape browser unit in July 2003, Eich helped spin out the Mozilla Foundation.
In August 2005, after serving as Lead Technologist and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Mozilla Foundation
Mozilla Foundation
The Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organization that exists to support and provide leadership for the open source Mozilla project. The organization sets the policies that govern development, operates key infrastructure and controls trademarks and other intellectual property...
, Eich became CTO
Chief technical officer
A chief technology officer is an executive-level position in a company or other entity whose occupant is focused on scientific and technological issues within an organization....
of the newly founded Mozilla Corporation
Mozilla Corporation
The Mozilla Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation that coordinates and integrates the development of Internet-related applications such as the Mozilla Firefox and SeaMonkey Navigator web browsers and the Mozilla Thunderbird email client by a growing global community of...
.
External links
- Brendan's blog
- Brendan's Roadmap Updates (Mozilla roadmap weblog)
- Brendan Eich on the Gillmor Gang July 2004 and December 2005
- Brendan's Netscape Joke Homepage
- Computerworld Interview with Brendan Eich on JavaScript
- CNET Interview with Brendan Eich
- Tech Luminaries interview with Brendan Eich