Big projects are ditching TypeScript… why?

TL;DR

TypeScript gained popularity over the years but is now losing support from major projects like Svelte, Drizzle, and Turbo, who prefer vanilla JavaScript for its simplicity and lack of compile step.

Transcript

it is September 7th 2023 and you are watching the code report it many years ago in 2017 legendary JavaScript user Kent C Dodds said I don't use typescript so I don't ever plan on supporting it in 2019 he goes on to say you are impassioned love of typescript is sort of freaking me out and finally in 2023 comes capitulation typescript is one and it's... Read More

Key Insights

• 🉐 TypeScript was initially disregarded but gained popularity after being integrated with Angular 2.
• 💨 Recent developments show major projects like Svelte, Drizzle, and Turbo moving away from TypeScript in favor of vanilla JavaScript due to code pollution, simplicity, and productivity concerns.
• 🛟 Some projects, like Svelte, adopt alternative solutions like JSdoc to preserve the benefits of TypeScript without the compile step.
• 👨‍💻 TypeScript can introduce complexities and challenges during code refactoring and library development.
• 💄 The future may see JavaScript include optional type annotations natively, potentially making TypeScript obsolete.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why are big open-source projects like Svelte, Drizzle, and Turbo moving away from TypeScript?

Some projects find that TypeScript pollutes the code with "type gymnastics," making it harder to develop libraries. Others, like Svelte, prefer the simplicity and productivity boost of using vanilla JavaScript without the need for a compile step.

Q: How does Svelte achieve the benefits of TypeScript without using it?

Svelte uses JSdoc, a standard comment format, to declare types and generate d.ts files. This approach provides IntelliSense and type checking similar to TypeScript, enhancing developer productivity.

Q: Are there any downsides to using TypeScript?

TypeScript can result in code that is harder to refactor and may require the use of the "any" type to bypass strict mode. It can also introduce additional complexity when developing libraries, as demonstrated with examples from the "svelt fire" library.

Q: Will JavaScript itself include optional type annotations in the future, making TypeScript obsolete?

There is a stage 1 ECMAScript proposal that aims to add optional type annotations to JavaScript natively, potentially reducing the need for TypeScript in the future.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• TypeScript, initially released in 2012, went from being ignored to widely adopted, especially after its integration with Angular 2.

• Recently, big libraries like Svelte, Drizzle, and Turbo have decided to ditch TypeScript due to issues with code pollution and the desire for a more productive development process.

• Some projects, like Svelte, still leverage JavaScript comments to generate types and provide IntelliSense, preserving the benefits of TypeScript without the compile step.