June 2020
ECMAScript 2020 standardized
Ecma adopted ECMAScriptThe standardized specification for JavaScript — ES3, ES6, and later editions define the language. 2020 in June 2020 — adding optional chaining, nullish coalescing, `BigInt`, and `Promise.allSettled`.
What it was for
ES2020 features became everyday JavaScript: `obj?.prop` and `value ?? fallback` reduced null-pointer bugs; `BigInt` handled large integers; dynamic `import()` improved code splitting. Every modern bundler and browser targets these additions.
Why it's here
ES2020 delivered some of the most-used syntax sugar in modern JavaScript.
Why it mattered
Optional chaining and nullish coalescing changed how millions of developers handle missing data.
What it solved
Accessing nested properties and defaulting null/undefined values required verbose, error-prone boilerplate.
Media
- ImageECMAScript
Plest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- JavaScript ES6 standardizedJune 17, 2015
- ECMAScript 2022 standardizedJune 2022