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Related question: how, if at all, did Windows Scripting Host fit into this history? Is there a plausible alternate history where browsers used WSH or some simi

Related question: how, if at all, did Windows Scripting Host fit into this history? Is there a plausible alternate history where browsers used WSH or some similar technology to execute client-side code in any supported language? Or am I confused about what WSH was/that period of history?

goto11 5y ago
Microsoft supported a model with pluggable scriping engines which was supported both on Internet Explorer (for client side scripts) and WSH for system-level scripting. The same technology also allowed you to use multiple scripting languages with the classic ASP web framework.
- codesections 5y ago
  > Microsoft supported a model with pluggable scripting engines which was supported both on Internet Explorer (for client side scripts) So what happened? Given that we lived through an era of Internet Explorer dominance, and Windows/IE was apparently shipping with a variety of scripting languages built in, how did that not lead to options for client-side scripts? (This all took place before my career change into programming, so I didn't really notice as I was living through it – sorry if that results in some ignorant questions).
  - goto11 5y ago
    IE only shipped with JavaScript and VBScript built-in. Other language engines could be installed (Perl and Python for example), but realistically nobody would write client-side code in a language which required a visitor to install support for it. VBScript was the only viable contender, but it never really had any compelling advantages compared to JavaScript. JavaScript is often criticized for quirky design and syntax, but if anything VBScript was worse. Also the pluggable script engines were based on COM, so only worked on Windows. I don't think VBScript was ever supported in IE for Mac. I don't think Microsoft ever saw a strategic advantage to promoting alternative languages on the web. Otherwise they would have done a lot more.

goto11 5y ago

Microsoft supported a model with pluggable scriping engines which was supported both on Internet Explorer (for client side scripts) and WSH for system-level scripting. The same technology also allowed you to use multiple scripting languages with the classic ASP web framework.

codesections 5y ago
> Microsoft supported a model with pluggable scripting engines which was supported both on Internet Explorer (for client side scripts) So what happened? Given that we lived through an era of Internet Explorer dominance, and Windows/IE was apparently shipping with a variety of scripting languages built in, how did that not lead to options for client-side scripts? (This all took place before my career change into programming, so I didn't really notice as I was living through it – sorry if that results in some ignorant questions).
- goto11 5y ago
  IE only shipped with JavaScript and VBScript built-in. Other language engines could be installed (Perl and Python for example), but realistically nobody would write client-side code in a language which required a visitor to install support for it. VBScript was the only viable contender, but it never really had any compelling advantages compared to JavaScript. JavaScript is often criticized for quirky design and syntax, but if anything VBScript was worse. Also the pluggable script engines were based on COM, so only worked on Windows. I don't think VBScript was ever supported in IE for Mac. I don't think Microsoft ever saw a strategic advantage to promoting alternative languages on the web. Otherwise they would have done a lot more.