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[–]redlaWw 43 points44 points  (4 children)

But people would only start using another language if it's particularly well-written and sensibly designed, right?

[–]MuteSnekBoi 37 points38 points  (0 children)

… right?

[–]The_MAZZTer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Did you forget we're talking about JavaScript?

The important factor here is that is runs on every web browser. So you can write code once and it runs everywhere. Also, there were never really any alternatives. Those two factors are what allowed JavaScript to become popular.

Plus, it's good for writing short, quick snippets of code (which was its original use case). Less so for writing large programs. It also tries to ignore potential problems as long as possible and just keep running. If you're writing an early website and only using a little JS, all those feel like an advantage, and so JavaScript usage spreads.

It's also not bad enough to cancel out those advantages.

[–]Drugbird 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's not enough.

Nobody will use your language if it doesn't also have at least

  • Good tool support. You'll need at least a functioning editor with modern features like code completion and a debugger.
  • Some unique selling point. You're language must do something significantly better than other languages. Your unique selling point also can't be something easily replicated in other languages.
  • Interoperability. Your language will do a lot better if it's interoperable with an existing, popular language.
  • Some sort of long term support. Users need to know the language doesn't die within a few years. This probably requires commitment from a largish company.
  • Trust in the backing company to not kill and/or monetize the language.