[TLUG]: ECMAScript ("Javascript") Version 4 - FALSE ALARM

[Steven Johnson]

The suggestions of bloat and instability from some corners are rather
disingenuous when you consider that

(1) at least one high-quality ES4 engine (Tamarin) will be available with a
source license compatible with both open-source and commercial vendors, so
the claim that it will be hard for browser vendors to implement can
theoretically be reduced to a claim that it will be hard for browser vendors
to integrate. (Sure, there may be technical or political obstacles to using
a particular engine, but assuming that the ES4 spec will require every
browser vendor to write their own implementation is clearly false.)

(2) at least two active contributors to Tamarin (Adobe and Mozilla) have a
very high vested interest in keeping code size small, as the success of both
Flash Player and Firefox are predicated on acceptable download sizes.

As Tom pointed out, the compiler for ES4 will definitely get more complex,
but the VM is unlikely to grow significantly in size or complexity.