ECMA 404(JSON) and ECMAScript will be ISO standards
Tags: javascript, json, ecma, ecmascript
Published: 2017-10-16 15:25:41

---
title: ECMA 404(JSON) and ECMAScript will be ISO standards
published: true
description: JSON and Meta ECMAScript specification will be ISO standards
tags: JavaScript,JSON,ECMA,ECMAScript
---

[ECMA-404](https://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-404.htm "ECMA-404") is JSON specification on [Ecma International](https://www.ecma-international.org/default.htm "Ecma International").

## De facto standard and De jure standard

ECMA 404(JSON) and ECMA 262(ECMAScript) are called [De facto standard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_facto_standard "De facto standard").
By contrast, ISO standard is called De jure standard.

> Two types of Standards
>
> Defacto Standards (Private requirement)
> Standards developed by a private company which are used widely as a result of the choices of consumers
> 
> De-jure Standards (Public requirement)
> Standards registered at a recognized standards organization such as ITU, IEC, ISO, etc
> [Defacto Standards vs Dejure Standards - Harada.pdf](http://www.eng.hokudai.ac.jp/e3/seminar/PPT/Harada.pdf "Defacto Standards vs Dejure Standards - Harada.pdf")


## De jure standard of JSON

Recently, Ecma submit ECMA 404(JSON) specification to [ISO/IEC JTC 1](https://www.iso.org/isoiec-jtc-1.html "ISO/IEC JTC 1").

- <https://github.com/rwaldron/tc39-notes/blob/9f3c0013f4830a473e11c259a2ee976d696cd06d/es7/2016-07/jul-26.md#5-report-from-the-ecma-secretariat>
- [11. ECMA404 (JSON) ISO fast-track. Review/approve disposition of comments responses and 404 2nd edition draft.](https://github.com/rwaldron/tc39-notes/blob/a8801ed94df6a8c8ff912a906699919db3b45895/es8/2017-05/may-25.md#11-ecma404-json-iso-fast-track-reviewapprove-disposition-of-comments-responses-and-404-2nd-edition-draft "11. ECMA404 (JSON) ISO fast-track. Review/approve disposition of comments responses and 404 2nd edition draft.")

This means that ECMA 404 will be ISO standards if ISO/IEC JTC 1 member accept it. [ISO/IEC 21778](https://www.iso.org/standard/71616.html "ISO/IEC FDIS 21778") is ISO version of ECMA 404(JSON).

Current status of ISO/IEC 21778 is [FDIS](https://www.iso.org/stage-codes.html#50.20 "FDIS")(Final Draft International Standards). FDIS is final process on voting the specification.

For more details about the process, see [International harmonized stage codes](https://www.iso.org/stage-codes.html#50.20 "International harmonized stage codes").

## Is there ISO version of ECMAScript?

Yes, ECMAScript 5 is already standarized as [ISO/IEC 16262:2011](https://www.iso.org/standard/55755.html "ISO/IEC 16262:2011").
But [ISO/IEC 16262:2011](https://www.iso.org/standard/55755.html "ISO/IEC 16262:2011") is deprecated.
It will be replaced by [ECMA-414 ECMAScriptÂ® Specification Suite](http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-414.htm "ECMA-414ECMAScriptÂ® Specification Suite")/[ISO/IEC 22275](https://www.iso.org/standard/73002.html "ISO/IEC DIS 22275").

[ECMA-414 ECMAScript Specification Suite](http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-414.htm "ECMA-414ECMAScriptÂ® Specification Suite") is very hacky specification. The spec has only 3 pages!
ECMA-414 is just collection of spec links.

- [tc39-notes/jan-25.md at master Â· littledan/tc39-notes](https://github.com/littledan/tc39-notes/blob/master/es7/2017-01/jan-25.md#5-report-from-the-ecma-secretariat "tc39-notes/jan-25.md at master Â· littledan/tc39-notes")

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