TypeScript, the strongly typed superset of JavaScript developed by Microsoft, has seen remarkable growth in adoption over the past six years. According to the 2021 “State of JS” survey, 69% of developers now use TypeScript, a significant increase from just 21% in 2016. This surge in usage highlights TypeScript’s growing popularity, as it provides developers with additional type safety and tooling while still allowing them to work within the JavaScript ecosystem. The survey, which gathered 16,085 responses, sheds light on how developers are increasingly turning to TypeScript to build robust, scalable applications.
The survey categorized TypeScript as one of the many “JavaScript flavors,” or languages that compile down to JavaScript. While TypeScript clearly dominated this category, other JavaScript alternatives trailed far behind. Elm, which offers a functional programming paradigm, came in second with just 2.4% usage, followed by Flow at 1.7% and CoffeeScript at 1.5%. This stark contrast further emphasizes TypeScript’s rise as the go-to choice for developers seeking a statically typed language while still staying within the JavaScript ecosystem.
Released as open source in 2012, TypeScript has evolved significantly over the years, with its current version, 4.5.5, offering several new features aimed at improving developer productivity and code quality. As of early 2022, TypeScript 4.6 is in its release candidate phase, promising further enhancements to the language. This continuous development and iteration have helped TypeScript maintain its status as a powerful tool for modern web development, addressing the demand for more structured and maintainable code in large-scale applications.
The findings from the “State of JS” survey provide valuable insight into the current landscape of web development technologies. As the survey continues to track trends and gather feedback from the developer community, it becomes clear that TypeScript is no longer just a niche tool but a mainstream language that is reshaping how developers approach building JavaScript-based applications. With its increasing popularity and the support it receives from both the open-source community and major corporations, TypeScript’s role in the future of web development seems set to continue expanding.