JavaScript vs TypeScript: major difference comparison

For years, JavaScript has been and continues to be the standard programming language for web browsers. Web developers use JavaScript to transform dull, static web sites into vibrant, dynamic products that are both pleasing to the eye and easy to use. Today, there have been hundreds of alternatives to this language, with TypeScript being one of the most well-known.

We compare TypeScript and JavaScript in this article, highlighting the essential features of both languages, outlining the significant differences. You will also understand how each of these languages performs when faced with similar workloads.

1. What is JavaScript?

JavaScript is a scripting language for building dynamic web pages. It adhered to client-side development principles, thus it operates entirely within the user's web browser and requires no resources from the web server. Javascript may also be used with other technologies such as REST APIs, XML, and others.

JavaScript has grown in popularity. It has evolved into a powerful scripting language with a plethora of libraries including ready-to-use code and frameworks for client-side development. Finally, with runtime environments like Node, it became possible to employ JavaScript server-side.

Some of the main strong points of JavaScript including:

Open source project with Microsoft's patronage

Specially designed tool for small scripts

Supports classes, interfaces & modules.

Compiled JavaScript runs in any browser

Allows cross-compilation

You can extend JavaScript for writing large apps

Adds support for classes, interfaces, and modules

2. What is TypeScript

TypeScript is a stand-alone object-oriented language. It is more of a superset of JavaScript in reality. Microsoft introduced this language in 2012 as a web application development tool that expands the capabilities of JavaScript. TypeScript is compatible with Node.js and any browser that supports ES3 or higher.

TypeScript is a strongly typed language that supports classes, interfaces, and optional static typing. It incorporates numerous object-oriented programming principles such as abstract classes, inheritance, and polymorphism, allowing developers to create more sophisticated and high-quality solutions than simple JavaScript enabled

Some of the main strong points of TypeScript including:

TypeScript supports JS libraries & API Documentation

It is a superset of Javascript

It is optionally typed scripting language

TypeScript Code can be converted into plain JavaScript Code

Better code structuring and object-oriented programming techniques

Allows better development time tool support

It can extend the language beyond the standard decorators, async/await

3. Differences between TypeScript and JavaScript:

JavaScript is a scripting language, whereas TypesScript is an object-oriented programming language.

Static typing is a feature of TypeScript, however it is not available in JavaScript.

Modules are supported by TypeScript, although they are not supported by JavaScript.

Although TypeScript provides an interface, JavaScript does not.

It can be summarized in the table below:

4. Which is better: JavaScript or TypeScript?

After going through the differences between JavaScript and TypeScript, we can conclude that if an experienced developer is working on relatively modest coding tasks, JavaScript is the way to go. However, if you have a development team with experience and understanding, Typescript is the best alternative.

In other words, When JavaScript is used in projects with a limited amount of code, it performs well. Large projects with a lot of sophisticated code can benefit from TypeScript, which is a superset of JavaScript.

The ideal TypeScript project

TypeScript was created with the goal of being very useful for big web application development. But what makes it such an excellent option?

It simplifies and predicts the development process. The flexibility to use new JavaScript capabilities even if we have to support outdated browsers or Node.js is another key feature.

When compared to JavaScript, TypeScript takes less code to achieve the same functionality, and its syntax will be recognizable to C programmers. TypeScript helps you to discover code problems during the compilation process, saving you time and money on bug solutions afterwards. 

Other than these obvious advantages, TypeScript can speed up the development of large projects in a more subtle way, hence, much easier to work with

The ideal JavaScript project

It's been suggested that TypeScript might not be the ideal choice for a small project because it's an overhead, and the time it takes to compile the code into JavaScript must be factored in. It may also be easier to debug certain programs directly in the browser with JavaScript.

A pre-existing system, on the other hand, is a different story. It may be difficult to migrate current solutions to TypeScript, therefore sticking with JS in this case would be a good choice. 

In conclusion, observing the differences between TypeScript and JavaScript, it can be said that both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages.

Despite the significant differences, Golden Owl has more than enough experience and skills in advising you which one is the best match for your business needs. Contact us now!