JavaScript was developed by Brendan Eich of Netscape; Java was developed at Sun Microsystems.
While the two languages share some common syntax, they were developed independently of each other
and for different audiences. Java is a full-fledged programming language tailored for network
computing; it includes hundreds of its own objects, including objects for creating user interfaces that
appear in Java applets (in Web browsers) or standalone Java applications. In contrast, JavaScript relies
on whatever environment it's operating in for the user interface, such as a Web document's form
elements.
JavaScript was initially called LiveScript at Netscape while it was under development. A licensing deal
between Netscape and Sun at the last minute let Netscape plug the "Java" name into the name of its
scripting language. Programmers use entirely different tools for Java and JavaScript. It is also not
uncommon for a programmer of one language to be ignorant of the other. The two languages don't rely
on each other and are intended for different purposes. In some ways, the "Java" name on JavaScript has
confused the world's understanding of the differences between the two. On the other hand, JavaScript is
much easier to learn than Java and can offer a gentle introduction for newcomers who want to graduate
to Java and the kinds of applications you can develop with it.