JavaScript and TypeScript are both programming languages that are used to create web or browser based applications. Increasingly node js apps are being built for backend as well. TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript, so it is possible to gradually adopt TypeScript even if it is in Javascript to start with.
TypeScript was invented by Anders Hejlsberg, who is also the creator of the C++ and C# programming languages. Hejlsberg created TypeScript because he saw the need for a more powerful and strict language for building large web applications. JavaScript is a powerful language, but it can be difficult to use for large applications because it is dynamically typed.
When starting a new project often one is left wondering whether to use Javascript or Typescript. I wanted to outline some of the differences and hopefully make it a bit easier to decide.
JavaScript is a dynamically typed language, while TypeScript is a statically typed language. This means that in JavaScript, the type of a variable is not checked at compile time, while in TypeScript, the type of a variable is checked at compile time.
Here are some of the benefits of using TypeScript:
- Type safety: TypeScript’s static typing helps to prevent errors in your code by ensuring that the types of variables and expressions are compatible.
- Readability: TypeScript’s type annotations make your code more readable and easier to understand.
- Tooling support: TypeScript has excellent tooling support, including IDEs, linters, and debuggers.
- Interoperability: TypeScript is fully interoperable with JavaScript, so you can use it to build new features on top of existing JavaScript code.
Here are some of the benefits of using JavaScript:
- Simple to learn: JavaScript is a relatively simple language to learn, making it a good choice for beginners.
- Flexible: JavaScript is a very flexible language that can be used for a wide variety of tasks.
- Extensible: JavaScript is an extensible language that can be extended with new features and libraries.
- Portable: JavaScript is a portable language that can be run on a variety of platforms.
I prefer Typescript since it is type safe, readable, and has excellent tooling support. But if you are just starting out , looking for lots of flexibility
When it comes to libraries and sheer quantity , JS still wins.
For one, JavaScript has been around for longer than TypeScript. TypeScript was first released in 2012, while JavaScript was first released in 1995. This means that there has been more time for JavaScript libraries to be developed.
Also, JavaScript has a larger community of developers than TypeScript. TypeScript is a relatively new language, so it does not have as large of a community of developers as JavaScript.
However, the number of TypeScript libraries is growing rapidly. In 2022, there were over 100,000 TypeScript libraries on NPM, which is a package manager for JavaScript. This is a significant increase from the number of TypeScript libraries in 2012, when there were only a few hundred.
It is likely that the number of TypeScript libraries will continue to grow in the future. TypeScript is a powerful language that offers a number of benefits over JavaScript, such as type safety and readability.
TypeScript can be a valuable tool for improving the quality of your code. If you are looking for a way to write better code, TypeScript is a good option to consider.
When deciding what language you want to use it is necessary to consider some other factors such as team skill set. If your team is already familiar with JavaScript, then it may be easier to stick with that language. However, if your team is new to programming, then TypeScript may be a better choice because it can help to prevent errors and make code more readable.
Also if your project is small, then it may not be worth the time and effort to learn TypeScript. However, if your project is large or complex, then TypeScript can help to improve the quality of your code and make it easier to maintain.
Hope this helps !
