Learning TypeScript can be quite beneficial for front-end developers for several reasons:
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Static Typing: TypeScript introduces static types to JavaScript, which catch potential issues at compile-time that would otherwise only be caught at run-time in plain JavaScript. This is beneficial for preventing bugs and reducing debugging time.
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Enhanced Tooling: TypeScript's static typing leads to improved autocompletion, navigation features, and more in popular Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) like Visual Studio Code. This results in more effective coding and reduces the likelihood of errors.
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Great for Large Codebases: TypeScript offers features like modules, namespaces, and interfaces that make it easier to organize and manage large codebases. This is one of the key reasons why large organizations like Microsoft, Google, and Airbnb use TypeScript.
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Better Readability: By providing explicit information about an object's properties (via interfaces), TypeScript makes code more descriptive and easier to read, which is particularly beneficial in team settings.
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Future JavaScript Features: TypeScript offers support for features from future standards of JavaScript like decorators and async/await, which are finalized and stable within TypeScript, even if they’re still experimental in JavaScript.
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Popularity and Demand: TypeScript is gaining popularity in the industry and there is a growing demand for developers who know TypeScript, especially for larger projects and for projects involving Angular, which is built with TypeScript.
By learning TypeScript, front-end developers can write more reliable, maintainable and scalable JavaScript code.
This module introduces students to TypeScript Basics. It aims to provide an in-depth understanding of key concepts such as reading and writing TypeScript code, describing variables with primitive data types, and exploring essential TypeScript constructs like interface, type, and more. The module covers a range of topics from fundamental TypeScript skills to theoretical aspects, fostering a solid understanding of the basics of TypeScript among students.
Theory:
- The Basics
- Everyday Types
- Classes
- Object Types
- Enums
- More on Functions
- Namespaces and Modules
- The Never Type
- Unknown Top Type
- Const Assertions
- Type Assertions
- Non-null Assertion Operator
- Satisfies Keyword
- Type Inference
- Intersection Types
- Union Types in TypeScript
- Keyof Type Operator
- TypeScript vs JavaScript
- Interfaces vs. Type Aliases
Video:
Tools and Exercises: