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Typescript For Javascript Developers: Javascript Explained

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Each day, Javascript developers strive to make their creation more efficient, improve readability and maintain their projects with greater ease. Whether as an ambitious student or an enterprise coder, it has become essential to have a deep understanding of Typescript and its nuances. In this article, we explore Typescript from the perspective of a JavaScript developer and explain why you should use it.

What Is Typescript?

Typescript is an open-source language created and maintained by Microsoft. It is a strongly typed superset of JavaScript, meaning that it can be compiled into JavaScript that any browser can understand. In other words, it allows developers to write code in a more advanced language and explain any specific rules to the compiler. It also offers type declarations that help developers create highly scalable and maintainable application.

Typescript is a great choice for developers who want to use the latest features of JavaScript, but also need the safety and scalability of a strongly typed language. It also provides a number of features that are not available in JavaScript, such as classes, interfaces, and generics. This makes it easier to write code that is more organized and maintainable. Additionally, Typescript can be used to create applications for both the web and mobile platforms.

Benefits of Using Typescript

The most significant benefit of using Typescript is the ability to avoid common errors made in Javascript. This is due to Typescript’s compile-time type checking, which allows the compilation of the code to fail and display an error if it does not match the expected type. Additionally, the compiler provides clear error messages to help debug the code. The type system also helps to maintain a high level of readability, enabling projects to be more readable and maintainable.

Plus, creating JavaScript applications with Typescript is easier as Typescript allows for reusable code. This is due to the ease of creating and referencing types as well as the abstraction of common concepts like classes, objects, and modules. The current version of typescript also supports a wide range of language features such as async/await, classes (inheritance, constructors), interfaces, enums, namespace and much more.

Typescript also provides a great development experience with features such as code completion, refactoring, and type checking. This makes it easier to develop applications quickly and efficiently. Additionally, Typescript is open source and is supported by a large community of developers, making it easier to find help and resources when needed.

Getting Started with Typescript

To get started with Typescript, a developer needs to install Node.js on their system. After installing this package, the developer can create a project by typing npm init on the command line or console. Once initialized, the developer can download Typescript by typing npm install -g typescript on the command line.

After installation, the developer can begin creating classes and objects like in normal Javascript. However, the key difference is that the code in Typescript must be properly typed. For example, if the developer is writing a function that adds two numbers, they must declare the input parameters as well as the return type.

Typescript also provides additional features such as type inference, which allows the compiler to automatically detect the type of a variable based on the value assigned to it. This helps to reduce the amount of code that needs to be written, and makes the code more readable.

Understanding the Syntax of Typescript

Typescript presents two options for syntax: interface-based or type alias-based. The interface-based syntax allows for more flexibility when type checking as compared to type aliases. Type declarations can involve basic types (string, number), unions, tuples and complex types like interfaces. The syntax of type declarations is critical as subtle errors can result in compilation errors.

When using the interface-based syntax, it is important to remember that the interface name must be unique. If the same interface name is used multiple times, the compiler will throw an error. Additionally, when using the type alias syntax, it is important to remember that the type alias must be declared before it is used. If the type alias is declared after it is used, the compiler will throw an error.

Working with Variables and Data Types in Typescript

Typescript allows developers to store text, numbers, boolean values and other different values in variables. Variables can be declared using the keyword let or var. All the different data types in Typescript include number, string, boolean, array, enum, any and void. Each of these types is derived from the JavaScript primitives or derived from language support provided by the TypeScript compiler.

Typescript also provides type inference, which allows developers to define variables without explicitly declaring the type. This is useful for quickly declaring variables without having to specify the type. Additionally, Typescript also provides type assertions, which allow developers to override the inferred type of a variable. This is useful for when the inferred type is incorrect or when the developer wants to explicitly define the type of a variable.

Using Classes and Objects in Typescript

Typescript supports object-oriented programming through its classes and objects. Objects are key-value pairs that store data related to the particular class. To create a class, developers must use class and declare properties which describe each object. Then they must write methods which further define what can be done with each object created within that class.

To create objects in Typescript, developers must first define their class by using the constructor method. Then they must use an object initializer to assign values to each property defined for the class. To call a method on an object, developers must use the dot notation.

Understanding Functions and Interfaces in Typescript

Typescript allows developers to define functions to make their code more maintainable, which simplifies debugging and increases code readability. Functions can be declared using function keyword followed by its name and argument list. Furthermore, Typescript also supports writing generic functions which allow developers to specify arguments and return type.

Interfaces offer developers a way to define custom types which they can use to define classes or define arguments of particular functions. This type system helps developers keep track of their variables and makes it easier for them to debug their code.

Working with Modules and Namespaces in Typescript

In Typescript, modules are used to group code components together in distinct units that perform one particular role. Developers can import a particular module into their code to access the functions or classes contained within that module. Namespaces in Typescript act as containers for related items like types definitions and variables.

Compiling a Typescript Project

Compiling a Typescript project is easy; it just requires a few steps that can be done using command-line interface. First, developers must open their project directory using their command line tool and navigate to their tsconfig.json file. This file contains all the compiler settings required for compilation. After this configuration is complete, developers can run tsc -w on the command line to begin compilation.

Debugging a Typescript Project

Debugging a Typescript project is much like any other language. First, developers must attach their debugger to the running process by running a specific command on their command line. Then they can break up their debug into multiple breakpoints so they can inspect specific areas of the code more closely.

Conclusion: Making the Most Out of Javascript with Typescript

Typescript is an advanced superset of JavaScript which helps developers create highly scalable and maintainable applications by providing features like type declarations and interfaces. Plus, with its compile-time type checking, developers are able to reduce and/or avoid common errors made in Javascript. By now it should be clear why someone would want to use Typescript for developing JavaScript applications.

Picture of Sarang Sharma

Sarang Sharma

Sarang Sharma is Software Engineer at Bito with a robust background in distributed systems, chatbots, large language models (LLMs), and SaaS technologies. With over six years of experience, Sarang has demonstrated expertise as a lead software engineer and backend engineer, primarily focusing on software infrastructure and design. Before joining Bito, he significantly contributed to Engati, where he played a pivotal role in enhancing and developing advanced software solutions. His career began with foundational experiences as an intern, including a notable project at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, to develop an assistive website for the visually challenged.

Written by developers for developers

This article was handcrafted with by the Bito team.

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