How to install TypeScript, and configure your development environment to get started

TypeScript is a statically typed programming language developed by Microsoft that is available as a superset of JavaScript and can be type checked at compile time. TypeScript provides more powerful tools and features that make it easier for developers to write maintainable, extensible code. This article will detail how to install TypeScript and configure your development environment to get started.

Install Node.js and npm

Before installing TypeScript, we need to install the Node.js environment and npm (Node package manager). You can install it as follows:

1. Visit the official Node.js website: https://nodejs.org

2. Download the Node.js installer for the latest LTS release for your system, and run the installer.

3. Once the installation is complete, open a terminal (or command prompt) and run the following commands to verify that Node.js and npm installed successfully:

   node --version
   npm --version
   

   If the version number is output, the installation is successful.

Install TypeScript

Once you have Node.js and npm installed, you can use npm to install TypeScript. Follow the steps below to install:

1. Open a terminal (or command prompt) and run the following command to install TypeScript globally:

   npm install -g typescript
   

   -gThe parameter indicates a global installation so that TypeScript commands can be used anywhere.

2. Once the installation is complete, you can verify that TypeScript installed successfully by running:

   tsc --version
   

   If the version number is output, TypeScript was installed successfully.

configuration editor

Before we can start using TypeScript, we also need to configure an editor to support TypeScript development. The following are several commonly used editors and related configuration steps:

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a lightweight and powerful open source code editor with great support for TypeScript.

1. Open Visual Studio Code.
2. Install the TypeScript plugin: Click the extension button on the left, search for "TypeScript", then select and install the officially provided TypeScript plugin.
3. Create a new TypeScript file: Click the File menu in the upper left corner, select "New File", and save the file .tsas file with a .
4. Start writing TypeScript code: Write TypeScript code in the newly created file and save the file.

WebStorm

WebStorm is a powerful JavaScript IDE developed by JetBrains that also has good support for TypeScript.

1. Open WebStorm.
2. Create a new TypeScript file: Click the File menu in the upper left corner, select "New", then select the "TypeScript File" option.
3. Start writing TypeScript code: Write TypeScript code in the newly created file and save the file.

other editors

In addition to the above two commonly used editors, there are many other editors that also support TypeScript development. You can choose an editor that suits you according to your preferences and needs. Just make sure to install and configure the appropriate TypeScript plugin or extension in the editor for a better development experience.

Create and compile a TypeScript project

Once TypeScript is installed and configured, we can create and compile TypeScript projects. Here are the basic steps to create and compile a TypeScript project:

1. Create a new directory as your project directory.

2. Open a terminal (or command prompt) in the newly created directory and run the following command to initialize a new TypeScript project:

   tsc --init
   

   The above command will create a tsconfig.jsonfile containing configuration options for the TypeScript project.

3. Write TypeScript code: Create one or more TypeScript files .tswith , and write your TypeScript code.

4. Compile TypeScript code: Run the following command in Terminal (or Command Prompt) to compile TypeScript code to JavaScript code:

   tsc
   

   The above command will tsconfig.jsoncompile the entire TypeScript project using the configuration options in .

5. View compilation results: After compilation is complete, you will see the generated JavaScript files in the project directory. These files are automatically generated by the TypeScript compiler.

Summarize

In this article, we detailed how to install TypeScript, and configure the editor and the basic steps to create a TypeScript project. Type safety is a major feature of TypeScript, which can help developers find potential errors in advance when writing code. By properly installing and configuring TypeScript, you can start using TypeScript in your projects and take advantage of the rich tools and features it provides to improve the quality and maintainability of your code.