State of JS Survey: TypeScript Usage Surges as WebAssembly and Progressive Web Apps Gain Traction
In the latest “2021 State of JS” survey, the usage of TypeScript has dramatically increased compared to previous years, underscoring its growing adoption among developers. According to the survey, which was conducted from January 13 to February 2022, 69% of respondents reported using TypeScript, a significant leap from just 21% six years ago. TypeScript, a statically typed superset of JavaScript developed by Microsoft, has seen its adoption outpace other JavaScript variants by a wide margin. The survey data highlights that other JavaScript flavors, such as Elm, Flow, and CoffeeScript, trail far behind, with usage rates of just 2.4%, 1.7%, and 1.5%, respectively.
TypeScript, first released as open source in 2012, is currently at version 4.5.5, with version 4.6 now in the release candidate phase. The survey aimed to capture trends and shifts in web development technologies, with over 16,000 responses collected to provide insights that could guide developers in their technological choices. The rapid rise in TypeScript usage reflects its growing importance and acceptance in the web development community.
The 2021 State of JS report reveals other notable trends in the JavaScript ecosystem as well. WebAssembly, designed to enhance web application performance through a binary format, has seen increased adoption, with 15.6% of respondents utilizing it, up from 10.5% the previous year and 7.2% in 2019. Similarly, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which leverage service workers and other technologies to deliver experiences akin to native apps, are now used by 62.2% of developers, marking a steady rise from 55.9% last year and 48.3% the year before.
Node.js continues to be the most widely used JavaScript runtime environment, with 71.5% of respondents indicating its use. In terms of other programming languages, Python emerged as the most popular, with 24.8% of participants using it, followed by PHP at 19% and Java at 18.1%. The survey also noted a decline in the number of respondents who felt JavaScript was evolving too rapidly, dropping from 59% six years ago to 38% in the latest survey.
React and Vue.js maintain their dominance as the leading JavaScript frameworks, a trend that has persisted for six years. The 2021 State of JS report provides a comprehensive view of the current state of JavaScript technologies and trends, reflecting the evolving landscape of web development.