Should you migrate to TypeScript from JavaScript?

by Softiex UK Softiex

Deciding whether you should migrate a particular project to TypeScript from JavaScript isn't always easy. It can be confusing to have to decide on what's best but one of the highly regarded software development companies in Bristol can help you navigate such technical dilemmas. Software development companies in Bristol can help you understand TypeScript implications.

What is TypeScript?

Understanding what TypeScript is will be the first step in the decision process. TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript: it's JavaScript with additional features on top. It is intended as an enhancement to JavaScript that enables the use of static types, which is its main feature. JavaScript itself doesn't allow this as it is a dynamically typed language, like Python and PHP for example, so it doesn't allow variables to be declared with a data type. In TypeScript, you are free to declare types wherever you like.

Underneath the surface, your TypeScript code compiles back down to vanilla JavaScript through its own compiler - the JavaScript engine in your browser doesn't understand TypeScript. TypeScript supports the use of ES6 and ES7 so that features such as arrow functions and classes can be used without issue, again compiling down to ordinary JavaScript that can run in the browser.

Let software development companies in Bristol determine the applicability of TypeScript.

TypeScript can bring potential benefits to your project thanks to its extra features and compiled nature. Firstly, the main benefit of using TypeScript in your project stems from the fact that it offers static typing. Whilst there are times where dynamic typing can be advantageous there are also times when it can affect the code adversely, yielding unpredictable results that can lead to errors down the line.

These errors may not be apparent during development or even testing. This means that it could be clients or users that identify the errors, and this can impact the user experience and reflect badly on your reputation. This is something that you would clearly wish to avoid.

With TypeScript's static typing, not only does it become possible for errors to be uncovered earlier on during debugging, but it is more unlikely for them to occur in the first place. When static types are assigned, it helps keep code logical with things such as passing incorrect parameters into functions less likely. Fewer errors for the end-user? Definitely a win.

Aside from enabling greater robustness of code which offers more predictable outcomes, along with easier and earlier detection of errors, TypeScript makes code more readable. The readability of code is important when different developers are working on a project so they can understand what the code does more easily. Simpler, smaller pieces of software may not really need this, but it can greatly benefit larger and more complex applications. This can reduce development and maintenance time which has obvious benefits including lower costs and quicker time to market.

Some say that it requires extra time to learn TypeScript, but most software development companies should already be conversant with it.

The beauty of TypeScript is that the usage of its features is entirely optional, so TypeScript code and files can be mixed with plain JavaScript as the need dictates - so no unnecessary use. This offers true flexibility that enables code to be written in the most optimal way, and a good software development company can really exploit this. Furthermore, this ability to mix the two together means that migrating JavaScript projects to TypeScript can be done incrementally and without much disruption.

Software development companies in Bristol will know whether TypeScript is suitable

The ultimate decision as to whether to migrate a JavaScript project to TypeScript is one best advised by your software development team. They will be able to understand your existing project and know whether it would benefit sufficiently from what TypeScript has to offer enough to make migration worthwhile.

They will look at factors including the complexity of the project and how many different developers will need to work on it. Considerations such as how the software is currently working and how readable and maintainable the code is to work with will also be factored in. If they determine that you could have more error-free software that they can work on more efficiently for you if TypeScript is used, then migration would likely be recommended.