JavaScript transformed over time from a straightforward client-side scripting language to a robust technology that can power intricate web applications. As a result, developers can now use JavaScript throughout the web development process.
Nevertheless, JavaScript continues to have certain drawbacks, such as dynamic type and the absence of static analysis. TypeScript was released in 2012 to overcome the inadequacies of JavaScript. It has several advantages over JavaScript, including improved tooling support and static typing.
JavasScript and TypeScript have distinct purposes and diverse features, which might confuse developers when choosing which to employ. This article aims to break down these two languages, providing insights into their differences and similarities and when to use one over the other.
What is JavaScript?
Developed in 1995, JavaScript is a high-level interpreted programming language frequently used in web development.
The primary purpose of its development was to provide HTML web pages with more functionality and interaction. It can manipulate the Document Object Model (DOM), allowing for the creation of dynamic and responsive user interfaces in web browsers.
Despite JavaScript’s reputation as a client-side language, its extensive use by developers has led to its adoption in server-side applications like Node.js and the creation of desktop and mobile applications utilizing frameworks like Ionic and Electron.
Features of JavaScript
- User Input Validation: JavaScript verifies user input for mistakes. It implies that JavaScript considers user faults, such as leaving a blank space or providing inaccurate information while transmitting the data to the server. It saves significant amounts of time while running the code.
- Platform Independent: Since JavaScript is a front-end language that runs in browsers, it must be platform-independent. This functionality makes JavaScript code compatible with various platforms, including Macintosh and Windows.
- Interactivity with DOM: JavaScript can access and alter a web page’s DOM, which lets you dynamically modify the page’s structure, content, and style.
- Interpreted Language: JavaScript code can run directly without requiring previous compilation.
- Dynamic typing: Variables in JavaScript may hold any value, and their types can alter while the program is running.
- Event-driven programming: JavaScript is designed to react to user actions and events, such as clicks, key presses, and page loads. This event-driven responsiveness is critical for developing compelling user experiences.
- Asynchronous programming: JavaScript leverages asynchronous structures such as callback functions and promises to provide non-blocking execution. As a result, it can manage several jobs at once.
- Widely supported: JavaScript is almost universally compatible with all current web browsers and front-end and back-end web development frameworks.
What is TypeScript?
A superset of JavaScript, TypeScript is a programming language that adds static typing to the framework so that one can detect problems during development rather than during runtime.
Microsoft created it to solve the challenges of maintaining huge JavaScript applications, and it has since been enhanced to include several contemporary developer-friendly features.
Along with static typing, TypeScript offers additional features not found in typical JavaScript, such as interfaces, generics, type inference, access modifiers, and other structures.
Everything that functions in JavaScript will also function in TypeScript since TypeScript compiles to ordinary JavaScript. It includes code you’ve already written in JavaScript and third-party JavaScript libraries.
Features of TypeScript
- Static Type Checking: By adding static type checking to JavaScript, TypeScript enables programmers to define variable types and detect type issues during compilation rather than runtime.
- JavaScript Foundation: It is easy to switch between TypeScript and JavaScript since TypeScript is a superset that maintains all of JavaScript’s features and syntax.
- Enhanced Typing Features: Besides static types, TypeScript provides sophisticated typing features that facilitate code reuse and maintainability, such as interfaces, enumerations, and generics.
- Better IDE Support: TypeScript IDEs such as Visual Studio Code and WebStorm provide extensive autocompletion, type-checking, and code navigation capabilities.
- Doesn’t Run Directly: TypeScript cannot be executed directly like JavaScript. Instead, it necessitates a compilation phase that converts the TypeScript code into browser-friendly plain JavaScript.
- Support: Most web development frameworks support TypeScript, including Next.js, AngularJS, and Vue.js.
JavaScript vs TypeScript: Differences
Now, let’s examine how JavaScript and TypeScript differ from one another.
| Aspect | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Creator | Brendan Eich (Netscape) developed JavaScript in 1995. | Microsoft developed TypeScript in 2012. |
| Definition | JavaScript is a programming language that offers first-rate features for making dynamic web pages. | As a superset of JavaScript, TypeScript is a robust object-oriented language that offers both generic and JS features to get around the complexity of JS. |
| Type System | Loosely typed; only supports dynamic typing | Strongly typed; it supports both static and dynamic typing. |
| Compilation | No compilation required. | Compilation required; compiles to JavaScript before execution. |
| Ecosystem | JavaScript is a simple and easy-to-read and write language that optimizes code for compatibility. | Typescript is a more robust and user-friendly language that supports static typing. |
| Learning Curve | Flexible and easy to learn for beginners. | TypeScript is a little challenging to learn and requires specialized scripting skills. Additionally, some prior Javascript understanding is preferable. |
| Adoption | JavaScript is universally used for development. | Large-scale projects frequently employ TypeScript, which is growing in popularity. |
| Performance | Since no compilation is required, it can be slightly faster. | The difference in its performance is negligible in most cases. |
| Annotation | It does not require annotation. | TypeScript needs annotation to take advantage of all of its features. |
| Prototyping | There is no prototyping feature in JavaScript. | The TypeScript language offers the prototyping functionality. |
| Type | JavaScript is merely a scripting language that adds functionality to web pages. Interface support is nonexistent. | TypeScript is an improved language that includes classes, interfaces, OOP ideas, static typing, and more. |
| Error Detection | Since JavaScript is an interpreted language, errors are only discovered during runtime. | In TypeScript, errors are identified or indicated during the early stages of development/compilation and are easier to fix. |
| IDE Support | It offers basic autocomplete and syntax highlighting. | It offers advanced features, including type checking, code navigation, and error checking. |
| Generics | It does not support generic features. | It supports generic features, allowing the development of reusable components. |
| Execution | With cross-platform and cross-browser compatibility, JavaScript operates directly within the browser. | It does not execute directly on the browser. |
| Community | Javascript is an old language that is one of the foundational front-end languages. It has a sizable development community as a result. | TypeScript has a steep learning curve and is a relatively new language. Compared to JavaScript, it has a smaller community. |
| Suitability | JavaScript is best suited for web applications, mobile and desktop apps, and designing games. | TypeScript is a more front-end-focused language with extensive IDE support. It is ideally suited for complex applications and JS apps. |
| Companies Using | Because of JavaScript’s versatility and the advent of Node.js, numerous companies, including Netflix, Microsoft, PayPal, and others, have adopted JS. | Businesses like Asana, Clever, Screen Award, and others use TypeScript because of its improved functionality. |
JavaScript vs TypeScript: Pros and Cons
Pros of JavaScript
- Interactive Language: JavaScript’s extensive user interface will assist you in creating stunning and functional features for a static web page. It promotes learning, enjoyable elements, and interaction for both the coder and the user.
- Supported Frameworks: JavaScript is the fundamental language, much older than TypeScript. Since many frameworks do not support TypeScript, JavaScript has an additional advantage over it. The developer can expedite and streamline the process by utilizing the existing libraries and frameworks for JavaScript.
- Community: Regardless of TypeScript’s features and capabilities, developers still favor JavaScript. As a result, JavaScript has a sizable developer community. For newcomers or novices, a community is a terrific place to meet like-minded, seasoned individuals who can help, challenge, and mentor you.
- Front-End and Back-End: The original purpose of JavaScript was front-end development. However, the latest versions now facilitate back-end development as well. It expands JavaScript’s consumer base.
Cons of JavaScript
- Browser Support: JavaScript code is compatible with a variety of browsers. However, it often produces different results for different browsers. It raises the likelihood that different browsers won’t support many features.
- Less Effective Debugging: Debugging and error detection in JavaScript are less effective than in other programming languages. In addition to slowing down the development process, it lacks early detection capabilities in emergencies.
- Front-End Security Issues: Any unauthorized users or external parties can see JavaScript code. This easy access to source code may jeopardize the security of the data and web page security, resulting in cyberattacks.
- Slow Rendering: A single or minor error could prevent JavaScript code from running. Furthermore, error detection in JavaScript is delayed.
Pros of TypScript
- Early Bug Detection: Typescript provides improved features for early bug detection. It improves the code quality and guarantees that the developers will save a great deal of time.
- Static Typing: Declaring a variable with a type guarantees a well-structured code. Additionally, it boosts productivity, expedites the debugging and troubleshooting process, and aids in early bug detection.
- Rich IDE Support: Better IDE support is one of the reasons why the TypeScript development experience is superior to that of JavaScript. Since several Integrated Development Environments, such as Visual Studio, WebStorm, Eclipse, and others, support TypeScript, developers have a single user interface for a variety of features.
- JavaScript Features: TypeScript is introduced to address JavaScript’s shortcomings. As a result, TypeScript offers all of JavaScript’s benefits along with its features. Among those benefits are:
- Classes, inheritance, encapsulation, and other object-oriented ideas guarantee TypeScript’s applicability for complex application projects.
- Cross-browser and Cross-platform and cross-browser
Cons of TypeScript
- Compilation: Compiling.ts files is an extra step that TypeScript adds before executing them in a Node.js application. It creates an additional step for the developer and causes needless inconvenience. For this specific reason, many developers attempt to stay away from TypeScript.
- Steep Learning Curve: Learning TypeScript is more challenging than learning JavaScript. It calls for scripting expertise. Furthermore, many developers believe that mastering JavaScript is necessary before attempting to use TypeScript. It influences developers’ decisions to stick with JavaScript.
- Set up Complications: TypeScript can be frustrating for programmers due to its complex setup procedures. One of the main drawbacks is having to write everything manually. Typescript feels challenging and inflexible compared to JavaScript, which has less code and more flexibility.
JavaScript vs TypeScript: Use Cases
TypeScript has several advantages over JavaScript since it was created to address particular issues that JavaScript developers frequently encounter. Nonetheless, there are still situations when it makes more sense to use standard JavaScript.
When to Use JavaScript
- When starting to code for the first time: Rookie developers might want to play around with JavaScript’s adaptable code without being distracted by too much detail.
- For tasks involving automation or ad hoc scripts: JavaScript is easier to set up and use when automating processes or creating short, disposable programs.
- When working on legacy codebases: Attempting to convert an old codebase already written in JavaScript to TypeScript might not be worthwhile because it might necessitate extensive rewriting or reorganization or even damage current functionality.
When to Use TypeScript
You should adopt TypeScript wherever possible since it has several benefits and improves the developer experience, which leads to more dependable code in any application, regardless of size.
This is especially crucial for complicated undertakings that call for teamwork.
Conclusion
It is entirely up to you whether you believe that one language is superior to the other or that one may surpass it.
Many developers continue to choose JavaScript, a core programming language, because of its extensive functionality, community, and adaptability. It works well for small projects that need dynamic web applications or desktop and mobile apps.
In contrast, TypeScript is an excellent option for developers working with big codebases. Although it is a new language, complex projects can benefit from its generic capabilities, OOP concepts, and rich IDE support.
It can provide developers with the functionality that JavaScript lacks. Ultimately, the choice between the options comes down to what suits you best and aligns with your project needs.
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Last Modified: February 18, 2025 at 10:24 am
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