ECMAScript 2018: the final feature set
[Updated 2018-01-28]
The feature set of ECMAScript 2018 was finalized during the latest TC39 meeting (23-25 January 2018). This blog post describes it.
A word on ECMAScript versions
Note that since the TC39 process was instituted, the importance of ECMAScript versions has much decreased. What really matters now is what stage a proposed feature is in: Once it has reached stage 4, it can be used safely. But even then, you still have to check if your engines of choice support it.
The features of ES2018
Major new features:
- Asynchronous Iteration (Domenic Denicola)
- Rest/Spread Properties (Sebastian Markbåge)
New regular expression features:
- RegExp named capture groups (Gorkem Yakin, Daniel Ehrenberg)
- RegExp Unicode Property Escapes (Mathias Bynens)
- RegExp Lookbehind Assertions (Gorkem Yakin, Nozomu Katō, Daniel Ehrenberg)
s(dotAll) flag for regular expressions (Mathias Bynens)
Other new features:
Promise.prototype.finally()(Jordan Harband)- Template Literal Revision (Tim Disney)
FAQ
What do the stages mean?
They refer to maturity stages of the so-called “TC39 process”. Check chapter “The TC39 process for ECMAScript features” in “Exploring ES2016 and ES2017” for more information.
How is [my favorite proposed feature] doing?
If you are wondering what stages various proposed features are in, consult the readme of the ECMA-262 GitHub repository.
Further reading
The following books by me are free to read online:
- ECMAScript 5: “Speaking JavaScript”
- ECMAScript 6: “Exploring ES6”
- ECMAScript 2016 & 2017: “Exploring ES2016 and ES2017”
