This article was originally published on.cultbyPiumi Gunawardhana.
.cult is a Berlin-based community platform for developers.
In the beginning, there wasJavaScript.
The popular scripting language we all know and love.
Ever since its creation, its been the dominating language for web development.
If you know anything about Typescript and JavaScript, youll know theyre not competing forces.
They have a unique relationship, working hand in hand.
That being said, there are some differences and thats what I want to discuss in this article.
What is JavaScript?
JavaScript is the most popularprogramming languagein the world.
Lets start at the beginning.
JavaScript has been the core technology for web applications since the 90s.
Its used to create interactive web pages in combination with HTML and CSS.
Its a high-level language with dynamic typing and a JIT (Just-in-Time) compiler.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
It also supports server-side implementations.
JavaScript is formed on the basis of the ECMAScript (ES) standard.
The most widely used ES standards with JavaScript are ES5 and ES6.
What is TypeScript?
TypeScript (TS) is a JavaScript superset that serves the same goal as JavaScript.
Why TypeScript Emerged?
The complexity of JavaScript projects tends to grow exponentially.
Initially, JavaScript was only used as a client-side language.
But developers realised that it could also be used as a server-side programming language.
In addition, JavaScript has also made it hard to maintain larger complex applications.
As a result, TypeScript emerged to meet these utility needs.
Key Differences between JavaScript and TypeScript
Is TypeScript better than JavaScript?
The way Ive described it, it might seem like TypeScript is just a better version of JS.
So you might think its likely TS will replace JavaScript in near future… well not really.
I still believe JavaScript will have its place.
Complexity is a key factor to consider.
JavaScript is ideal for simpler applications because it operates on all platforms (cross-platform) and is very lightweight.
Additionally, compiling TypeScript code requires time and CPU resources compared to a minimal overhead with JS.
Sometimes the hassle of using TypeScript doesnt make sense for the project.
However, TypeScript comes with many benefits over JavaScript.
As it supports compile-time debugging, theres a definite benefit to organizations working with large complex applications.
Setting up TypeScript for any project is straightforward.
Some frameworks like Angular use TypeScript by default.
So, in my opinion, TypeScript is the clear winner here.
Disadvantages of TypeScript
Despite the many advantages that TypeScript provides, it also has certain disadvantages.
Defining types explicitly requires more work initially but saves both time and resources in the long term.
Despite this, it is the most commonly used point in support of JavaScript.
You cant just migrate a large JavaScript project to rigorous idiomatic TypeScript on the fly.
Although there are some tools to assist, youll still have to do most parts on your own.
TypeScript code compilation takes time and CPU resources.
Theres also a waiting period for the code changes to appear in the net web surfer.
Unlike conventional JavaScript, real-time coding affects a little.
On massive codebases, the tools also slow down significantly, causing significant latency in navigation, etc.
When should you migrate your project to TypeScript?
Thats where TypeScript comes in handy.
TypeScript also has interfaces and access modifiers that allow developers to collaborate and interact on a single codebase.
Therefore, its probably best to use TypeScript from the beginning of your project.
However, if you prefer frameworks like Ember.js or Glimmer.js youll have limited support for TypeScript.
So JavaScript would be the language of choice for these frameworks.
This is why its gained in popularity.
Personally, Im a fan of TypeScript and generally recommend using it for new projects.
