TypeScript VS JavaScript : Check the Difference in 2024

Quick summary: In the realm of programming, TypeScript (TS) and JavaScript (JS) are two well-known languages. TypeScript is essentially JavaScript with a few extra features. Both languages are used; however, TypeScript quickly becomes a favourite of many web developers and enterprises due to its added features. In this post, we’ll look at the fundamental differences between TypeScript and JavaScript, as well as the syntax, features, and some relevant memes for both languages.

Websites are now widely used by all businesses, and JavaScript is the most widely used programming language for enhancing HTML-based pages. While Javascript is the most widely used scripting language, TypeScript is gaining footing.

According to the StackOverflow Annual Developer Survey 2021, JavaScript is the most commonly used programming language for the ninth year in a row, with 64.96 percent, and TypeScript is in ninth place with 30.19 percent. The popularity of TypeScript and JavaScript can be seen in these numbers.

In essence, TypeScript is a superscript of JavaScript, and everything of your JavaScript code is valid in TypeScript. To put it another way, TypeScript = JavaScript + greater functionality. TypeScript is a combination of JavaScript and additional capabilities. So, saving your JavaScript code (JS) in TypeScript format (TS) will work properly, but this does not imply that TypeScript and JavaScript are the same. Before we get into the fundamental distinctions between the two languages, let’s have a look at how each of them looks.

What is JavaScript

One of the most widely utilised core technologies on the internet is JavaScript. It has been an essential component of applications since the beginning, making web pages interactive and dynamic. It’s a lightweight, high-level language with dynamic typing and a just-in-time (JIT) compiler. JavaScript was only available as a client-side application for a long time, although some recent JS applications are also available on the server. Scripts are the programmes that are written in JavaScript. These scripts are embedded in HTML pages and run as soon as the page is loaded. It’s written in plain text and doesn’t need to be compiled to run.

What is TypeScript

TypeScript is a JavaScript programming language for the current day. It’s a statistically compiled language for writing clean and straightforward JavaScript code. It works with node.js and any other browser that supports ECMAScript3 or subsequent versions of the language. Microsoft created and maintained TypeScript under the Apache2 licence. It does not operate directly in browsers; a compiler must build and generate a JavaScript file. The TypeScript file has the extension “.ts.” Type annotations in TypeScript allow for optional static type checking at compilation time. TypeScript adheres to the OOPS principle, and we can convert TypeScript code (.ts files) to JavaScript code (.js file) using TSC (TypeScript Compiler).

Why Use TypeScript Vs JavaScript

Let’s take a look at why you should utilise JavaScript and TypeScript according to your requirements.

Why JavaScript

• JavaScript is a Microsoft-sponsored open-source project.
• Classes, interfaces, and modules are all supported.
• JavaScript that has been compiled will run in any browser.
• Cross-compilation is possible.
• You can use JavaScript to develop huge apps by extending them.
• Support for classes, interfaces, and modules has been added.
• Specially designed tool for small scripts

Why TypeScript

• JS libraries and API documentation are supported by TypeScript.
• It is an optionally typed scripting language that is a superset of JavaScript.
• JavaScript code can be transformed from TypeScript code.
• Object-oriented programming approaches and better code structuring
• Tool support is improved, allowing for a faster development time.
• It can go beyond the conventional decorators, such as async/await.
• When to use TypeScript over JavaScript

When to use JavaScript over TypeScript

Stable testing workflow

Possessing a team that is already applying test-driven development is better than swapping TypeScript even with all its features and costs.

Small Assignments

It is the perfect solution for a smaller project.

Build tools needed

To have the JavaScript, TypeScript needs to perform an extra step, So it’s better to use JavaScript without an assistant of building tools.

Framework Support

Using existing libraries and frameworks of javascript, you can develop web applications much faster and make your development process streamline as TypeScript doesn’t support specific frameworks.

When to use TypeScript over JavaScript

Massive Project or numerous developers

TypeScript is the best choice for you if you’re working on a huge project or have several developers working together. The access modifiers and interface of TypeScript can be an advantage for communicating with API.

Working with a new framework or library

Use TypeScript if you’re starting a new project that utilizes React and is not accustomed to its API.

Compile-time checking

Expanding the code is tough in JavaScript, especially when you prefer pre-compile error checking. With TypeScript, it is possible to execute runtime type conformation and compile-time validation.

TypeScript Vs JavaScript: Features

So far, we have seen when to use TypeScript and when to use JavaScript. Let’s see what features they provide.

Features of JavaScript

• Lightweight scripting language
• Dynamic Typing
• Object-oriented Programming support
• Functional Style
• Platform Independent
• Prototype-based
• Interpreted Language
• Async Processing
• Client-side Validation
• Control in Browser

Features of TypeScript

• Maintainability
• Offers great  productivity to developers
• Code Navigation & Bug prevention
• Code refraction and discoverability
• Optional Static type Annotation
• ES6 Support
• Supports interface, sub-interface, classes & subclasses
• Rich IDE
• Class-based object-oriented with the inheritance of private members and interface.

Typescript Vs JavaScript: Syntax

Understand the basic syntax of both languages.

Basic Syntax of JavaScript

The Script tag in JavaScript contains all statements. It instructs the browser to treat all content between these tags as <script>//javascript code</script>.

Basic Syntax of TypeScript

A collection of rules for writing programmes is defined by syntax. Every language has its specification identifies its grammatical structure.

A TypeScript is a programming language consisting of

TypeScript vs JavaScript Examples

JavaScript and TypeScript code example

Example of JavaScript

<script>
// Declare a variable and initialize it
// Global variable declaration
var Name="Apple";
// Function definition
function MyFunction() {    
    // Local variable declaration
    var num = 45;  
    // Display the value of Gloabal variable
    document.writeln(Name);
    // Display the value of local variable
    document.writeln("
" + num );
}
// Function call
MyFunction();

You can perform this example and learn JavaScript from Basic to Advanced with the help of tutorials here.

Example of TypeScript

class Name {
	first_name: string;
	last_name: string;

	constructor(fname: string, lname: string)
	{
		first_name = fname;
		last_name = lname;
	}
	getName(): string
	{
		var fullname: string = first_name + last_name;
		return fullname;
	}
}
var author_name: Name;

TypeScript vs JavaScript: Pros & Cons

Let’s see TypeScript and JavaScript’s pros & cons.

Pros & Cons of JavaScript

Pros and Cons of TypeScript

TypeScript vs JavaScript: Key Differences

Performance

TypeScript can minimize the errors during the runtime at the time of deployment, as it points out during the compile time. Whereas JavaScript is an interpreted language so it can point out errors during the runtime

Usage

The adaptability of JavaScript allows for a wide range of applications. Front-end developers use it to design websites’ visual aspects and user interfaces (together with HTML and CSS). Back-end developers use JavaScript to manage the numerous background processes and servers that keep applications operating. We’ll look at what JavaScript is used for in more detail in a later post. However, additional capabilities such as type annotation and a type system allow building more complicated larger-scale projects faster and easier.

Trend

In Google Trends, it shows the query trends for the last 12 months. The graphs which follow are set to summarize worldwide search results and cover the last 12 months. We can observe from this small sample of data that JavaScript has significantly more interest than TypeScript. JavaScript interest is at best stale, if not slightly dropping, whereas TypeScript interest is exploding.

Popularity

JavaScript is a fantastic language; if it weren’t, it wouldn’t have remained the most popular for so long. That does not, however, imply that it is flawless. In JavaScript, things can get chaotic and complex when dealing with larger projects. As a result, Microsoft created TypeScript.  As per Google Trends, we can see that the popularity of JavaScript, as well as TypeScript, is growing rapidly. However, google trends show the query trends, whereas the dice skill graph shows the skill required.

JavaScript popularity

TypeScript popularity

TypeScript Vs JavaScript

Now that we have seen both languages’ basic features and purpose, let’s take a summarized comparison.