The TypeScript programming language is an open-source, object-oriented programming language developed and maintained by Microsoft. The language was introduced by Anders Hejlsberg, one of the core developers of C#. TypeScript is a strongly typed superset of JavaScript that compiles to plain JavaScript. A JavaScript language for application-scale development that can run on any browser, any host, and any operating system. Browsers do not directly run TypeScript. It requires a compiler to compile and generate JavaScript files. JavaScript is an ES6 version of TypeScript, which includes some features not found in JavaScript.
What is TypeScript and why use it
TS (TypeScript) is a superset of JavaScript developed by Microsoft. The TypeScript programming language is supported by two companies, Microsoft and Google. Microsoft created TypeScript, and Google developed Angular from version 2 to version 12 (the current version) using it. It is the official language for developing Angular2+ applications.
The TypeScript language is built on top of JavaScript. As a result, it supports every concept and feature associated with JavaScript.
TypeScript is intended to be a superset of JavaScript. It provides powerful OOP (Object Oriented Programming) features such as inheritance interfaces and classes, a declarative style, static typing, and modules. There are similar features in JavaScript, but they are different because JavaScript follows prototypical-based OOP instead of class-based OOP.
By using TS features, developers can create complex and large JavaScript applications that are easier to maintain and debug. The TypeScript language can be used for both client-side and server-side programming. TypeScript can be used in client-side program development using the Angular framework. Using NodeJS platform, it can be used for server-side program development.
TypeScript requires modern code editors / IDEs, such as Visual Studio Code, Atom, Sublime Text, Web Storm, Eclipse, etc.
Browsers only understand JavaScript language. The browser does not support TypeScript. By default, TypeScript code cannot be directly executed by the browser. We must convert TypeScript code into JavaScript code, and then import JavaScript language files into the website. The browser executes JavaScript. Using “TypeScript Compiler” (tsc), we compile / transpile “filename.ts” into “filename.js” (JavaScript). There is no need to load TypeScript files into the browser. JavaScript will be loaded and executed in the browser.
As TypeScript is a compiled language, we will need to transpile it into JavaScript to run it in web browsers that only support one programming language. Fortunately, the TS transpiler works well with most build systems.
The TypeScript file extension is .ts. You can install TypeScript compiler from npm then run it using tsc source-file.ts command from a terminal.
Why do we need TypeScript when we have JavaScript?
As a client-side language, JavaScript was expanded to server-side use. However, it was not widely adopted by enterprises because of its complexity and limitations in Object-Oriented Programming. To address this, TypeScript was developed to enhance JavaScript, providing static typing and features for robust enterprise-level server-side development.
See More: What is Kotlin Programming Language ?
Benefits of TypeScript?
TypeScript has the following benefits.
- The typescript language supports static typing, strongly typing, modules, optional parameters, etc.
- It supports object-oriented programming features such as classes, interfaces, inheritance, and generics.
- Fast, simple, and most importantly, TypeScript is easy to learn.
- TypeScript provides error-checking at compile time. A compiler will compile the code, and if an error is found, it highlights the mistake before running the script.
- In general, TypeScript supports all JavaScript libraries since it is a superset of JavaScript.
- Inheritance allows TypeScript to support reusability.
- App development is made easy and quick with TypeScript, and the TypeScript tooling provides autocompletion, type checking, and source documentation.
- The .d.ts extension of TypeScript defines external JavaScript libraries.
- The latest JavaScript features, including ECMAScript 2015, are supported by TypeScript.
- With TypeScript, you get all the benefits of ES6 plus increased productivity.
- It is possible to save a lot of time by using TypeScript for developers.
How to Get Started with TypeScript
developer you are. You can start building some projects and exploring some TypeScript code directly by checking out these project ideas.
- Prismic and Next.js for building a blog in TS
- With TypeScript, you can build a REST API
- Install infrastructure on AWS using TS
You can also explore other projects on places like GitHub if you prefer. Alternatively, if you want to explore TypeScript further without looking at a project directly, you can look up online communities on websites such as Reddit and Twitter.
Final Thoughts
Typescript is a must-have tool even if you don’t use it fully. Taking baby steps and learning new features every day will lead to a lifetime of knowledge. Beginners can easily grasp Typescript, so if you are new to programming, you can begin using it right away.