Return to JavaScript Version History, JavaScript-ECMAScript

ECMAScript 2 (ES2) was a maintenance release of the ECMAScript standard, published in June 1998. Its primary purpose was to align with the ISO/IEC 16262 international standard. Due to its nature as a maintenance release, ES2 did not introduce new language features or significant changes that would be visible to developers in terms of new coding capabilities or syntax. Instead, it focused on formalizing the specification and ensuring compatibility with international standards. This makes it challenging to fulfill the request for new features and fixes in the manner described, as ES2's contributions were largely behind the scenes in terms of specification clarity and international alignment.

Given this context, rather than attempting to invent or erroneously attribute features to ES2, I'll provide a general overview of its significance and direct you to resources for further exploration of ECMAScript standards.

ECMAScript 2 was the second edition of the ECMAScript language standard. It aimed to bring the original ECMAScript specification into compliance with the ISO/IEC standards. This edition was more about formalizing the language's documentation rather than introducing new features to the JavaScript language as used by developers.

The primary purpose of ECMAScript 2 was to ensure that the ECMAScript specification was fully compatible with the ISO/IEC 16262 international standard. This was a step towards making JavaScript a more standardized and internationally recognized language, which was important for its adoption and use in various environments.

For JavaScript developers, the release of ES2 had minimal direct impact. There were no new syntax features or APIs introduced in this edition. The work was focused on the specification document itself, ensuring that ECMAScript could be officially recognized as an international standard.

The formal specification for ECMAScript 2 can be found as part of the historical archives of ECMAScript standards. While the direct documentation for ES2 is not widely circulated online due to its nature, the [ECMA International's official website](https://www.ecma-international.org/) provides access to the specifications of later versions of ECMAScript.

As ES2 predates the widespread use of GitHub for open-source projects and standardization work, there isn't a GitHub repository dedicated to the ES2 specification. However, the ECMAScript standard is now managed under the tc39 GitHub organization for later versions.

For more information on the evolution of ECMAScript, including ES2, the [ECMA International's official website](https://www.ecma-international.org/publications-and-standards/standards/ecma-262/) is the authoritative source. Additionally, the [Wikipedia page for ECMAScript](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECMAScript) provides a historical overview and context for the various editions of the standard.

ECMAScript 2 played a crucial role in the standardization process of JavaScript, ensuring its alignment with international standards. While it didn't introduce new language features, its contribution to the formalization of JavaScript as a standardized language has had a lasting impact on its development and adoption. For developers and those interested in the technical evolution of JavaScript, subsequent editions of ECMAScript have introduced a wide array of features and improvements that have significantly enhanced the language's capabilities and usability.

Given the nature of ES2 as a specification alignment release, comparisons with features in other languages or detailed code examples are not applicable. The focus of ES2 was on formalizing and standardizing the JavaScript language for international use, setting the stage for future developments and features introduced in later editions of ECMAScript.