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I specifically became interested in JScript because of its sheer similarity to Javascript (yes, I know, they're "the same thing"). My uses for it are console apps, the kind that can receive standard input/output, modify files, pause, etc -- things that have nothing to do with the DocumentObjectModel but everything to do with Windows Scripting/WScript.

I've noticed a serious lack of documentation from Microsoft regarding JScript and its general use in this way. They have documentation that's available for download, but it's either many years old... or they refer to it as Javascript and orient it towards web applications.

If JScript is dying, what's the next big scripting plan? I've seen both Windows Powershell and VBScript come up when I search for WScript-related questions, but I haven't seen either be pushed too far. I'm developing for a Windows XP environment, and I'd be glad to know I'm developing in something that will be both supported in the future (JScript looks like it's losing traction) and still available in the past (Powershell isn't offered where I work, not on XP machines at least).

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You might get more useful answers to 'where do you go from here' if you described why you specifically need JScript instead of other JavaScript implementations. And yes, JScript (ala ActiveScripting) is depreciated in favor of IE's newer javascript engine, but JScript should still function for quite a few years to come. – GrandmasterB Nov 26 '12 at 21:28
Detail the problem scope you're trying to code solutions for and then maybe you can get some helpful information about good languages and pros/cons of approaches to coding solutions to that problem domain. – Jimmy Hoffa Nov 26 '12 at 21:34
Based on your edit, I think PowerShell is supposed to fill in that niche. – GrandmasterB Nov 26 '12 at 21:40
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This "Is my favourite technology dead" question runs afoul of the "what language/technology you should learn/use next, including which technology is better?" part of the FAQ. – ChrisF♦ Nov 26 '12 at 21:41
How about "what technology is existent given these constraints?" Oh, and I did find old documentation. Thanks for all the help. microsoft.com/downloads/… – David Is Not Here Nov 27 '12 at 14:34
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closed as off topic by Robert Harvey, ChrisF♦ Nov 26 '12 at 21:41

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2 Answers

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JScript is Microsoft's JavaScript clone. They named it JScript to avoid trademark infringement. It won't be dying any time soon, at least in web browsers.

As for JavaScript on the server-side and the console, node.js is the way to go. Microsoft has even worked with the node.js developers to get a better native Windows port.

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That's not really an answer the OP's question. – Doc Brown Nov 26 '12 at 21:28
I'm aware it's similar, very similar, but I'm especially interested in the things JavaScript itself can't do. Standard input, output, the WScript object, file manipulation... – David Is Not Here Nov 26 '12 at 21:29
@DavidIsNotHere are you asking about JScript as a server-side scripting language and not a web browser (Internet Explorer) scripting one? – Nathan Pilling Nov 27 '12 at 0:19
I am (was) asking about it as a console- or Windows-based scripting language, triggered by the Microsoft-included cscript.exe or wscript.exe respectively. – David Is Not Here Nov 27 '12 at 14:33
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JScript is nothing more than Microsoft's implementation of ECMAScript. Whenever you think of IE running some Javascript, it is technically JScript.

This answer on SO has a pretty good explanation:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6790982/can-ie-interpret-both-jscript-and-javascript

I definitely would not say that Javascript is dying; if anything, it is experiencing a renaissance, even within Microsoft.

Update: I would venture to guess that you will not find much documentation, as this is a fairly rare use case (hardcore JScript console scripting). Most people scripting js these days are using node.js, and I would imagine that the majority of heavy scripting is not done in js anyway, but Python or Powershell. Lack of documentation is always going to be an issue with rare use cases.

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I would hardly call it a "renaissance" when the big trend lately has been to create languages that compile down to JS. I'd call that "the population finally coming around to the point of view that JS is a horrible language and doing whatever they can to avoid having to work with it directly." – Mason Wheeler Nov 26 '12 at 21:30
Okay, I think I've phrased my question wrong... I'm not interested in knowing the difference between the languages as much as I am doing console scripting. – David Is Not Here Nov 26 '12 at 21:33
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@MasonWheeler I would say it's more along the lines of the population finally coming around to the point of view that JS simply IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. NO MATTER WHAT. So it's being treated like machine code, a necessary evil. – Jimmy Hoffa Nov 26 '12 at 21:33
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@Mason - I will ignore the flaimbait for the sake of civility and point out that there is actually loads of stuff going on right now in plain old js. Look at node.js, countless new realtime web engines, mongoDB's interface, and countless services that use JSON as their data object of choice. – Morgan Herlocker Nov 26 '12 at 21:34
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@MasonWheeler Maybe my standards are too low, but I do not consider JS to be "a horrible language" AT ALL. – luiscubal Nov 26 '12 at 21:34
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