• TypeScript History
• History of TypeScript

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TypeScript is a programming language developed and maintained by Microsoft. It is a strict syntactical superset of JavaScript, adding optional static typing to the language. TypeScript is designed for the development of large applications and compiles to JavaScript. As such, it can be used to develop JavaScript applications for both client-side JavaScript and server-side execution (as with Node.js or Deno). Here is a detailed history of TypeScript, including its inception, major releases, and key features introduced over time.

TypeScript was first made public in October 2012, by Microsoft, aiming to address the challenges of developing large-scale applications with JavaScript. Anders Hejlsberg, the lead architect of C# and creator of Delphi and Turbo Pascal, has worked on the development of TypeScript. The language extends JavaScript by adding static types, classes, interfaces, and modules.

The initial release of TypeScript introduced the core language features, including static typing, interfaces, and classes. This release marked the beginning of TypeScript's journey to enhance JavaScript with features that facilitate large-scale application development.

In April 2014, TypeScript 1.0 was released, solidifying its position as a major tool for JavaScript developers. This version was the first stable release and was included in Visual Studio 2013 Update 2, offering developers an integrated development environment (IDE) experience.

TypeScript 1.5 brought significant enhancements, including support for ES6 modules, namespace keyword, decorators, and for..of support. This version aligned TypeScript more closely with the latest ECMAScript standards, improving its compatibility and utility.

TypeScript 1.6 added support for new types such as union types, type guards, and more. It also introduced JSX support, making TypeScript a great choice for developers working with React.

The release of TypeScript 1.7 included support for async/await for ES6 targets, enhancing asynchronous programming capabilities in TypeScript applications.

TypeScript 2.0 introduced several key features, such as non-nullable types, control flow analysis, and read-only properties. This version emphasized type safety and introduced the concept of strict null checks to prevent common errors related to null and undefined values.

TypeScript 2.1 added support for downlevel async/await to ES3 and ES5, making asynchronous programming more accessible across different JavaScript environments. It also introduced keyof and lookup types, enhancing the language's expressiveness.

TypeScript 2.2 introduced the object type, providing a way to describe non-primitive types. This version also improved the support for mixins and other advanced object-oriented programming patterns.

TypeScript 2.3 added support for generic default types, enhancing the flexibility and reusability of generic types. This release also introduced the –strict flag, which enabled strict type-checking options by default, promoting better coding practices.

TypeScript 2.4 included support for dynamic import() expressions, enabling code-splitting and lazy-loading of modules. This version also improved string literal types, making them more powerful for modeling precise string values.

TypeScript 2.5 introduced the optional catch binding, allowing developers to omit the catch clause variable when it's not used. This version also added the –watch flag improvements, enhancing the development experience with more efficient incremental builds.

TypeScript 2.6 added stricter checking for function types, addressing common pitfalls in function type declarations. This version also introduced the –strictFunctionTypes flag, further improving type safety in function types.

TypeScript 2.7 brought the definite assignment assertions feature, allowing developers to assert that class properties will be definitely assigned in the constructor. This version also improved type inference for object literals, making the type system more intuitive.

TypeScript 2.8 introduced conditional types, a powerful feature that enables types to be chosen based on conditions. This version also added support for JSX fragment syntax, improving the development experience with JSX.

TypeScript 2.9 added support for importing types using the import() syntax, making it easier to dynamically load types. This version also introduced the keyof typeof operator, enhancing the ability to work with property names as types.

TypeScript 3.0 introduced project references, allowing projects to depend on each other in a structured way. This version also added the unknown type, providing a type-safe counterpart to the any type that encourages type checking.

TypeScript 3.1 improved mappings between loaded projects with project references, enhancing the developer experience in multi-project setups. It also introduced mappable tuple and array types, extending the language's type manipulation capabilities.

TypeScript 3.2 introduced stricter type-checking for bind, call, and apply methods, making the use of these methods safer and more predictable. This version also added support for BigInt literals, aligning TypeScript with the latest JavaScript features.

TypeScript 3.3 improved the behavior of unions and intersections with index signatures, enhancing the language's type system. This version also made incremental builds faster, benefiting projects that use the –incremental flag.

TypeScript 3.4 introduced the const assertions feature, allowing developers to declare that object and array literals are immutable. This version also added the –incremental flag by default for faster subsequent builds, improving build performance for large projects.

TypeScript 3.5 improved type-checking performance, addressing issues related to the complexity of some types. This version also enhanced the type system with Omit helper type, making it easier to exclude properties from types.

TypeScript 3.6 added more accurate array spread, improving the handling of tuple types in spreads. This version also introduced stricter generators, aligning the behavior of generator functions with the ECMAScript standard.

TypeScript 3.7 introduced optional chaining and nullish coalescing, two highly anticipated features that improve the way developers can write expressions dealing with null and undefined values. This version also added assertion functions, enhancing the language's capabilities for runtime checks.

TypeScript 3.8 introduced type-only imports and exports, allowing developers to clearly distinguish between types and regular imports/exports. This version also added ECM

AScript private fields, aligning TypeScript more closely with JavaScript's evolving features.

TypeScript 3.9 improved inference and promise.all, enhancing the language's ability to work with asynchronous operations. This version also focused on performance improvements, particularly in the compiler and editor integrations.

TypeScript 4.0 introduced variadic tuple types, allowing developers to express types for functions that can take any number of arguments in a more precise way. This version also added labeled tuple elements, improving the readability and usability of tuples in TypeScript.

TypeScript 4.1 added the template literal types feature, enabling the creation of types that can be manipulated with template literals. This version also introduced key remapping in mapped types, allowing for more flexible transformations of object types.

TypeScript 4.2 introduced improvements to tuple types, including leading/middle rest elements in tuple types. This version also enhanced the type system with smarter type alias preservation, improving the readability of error messages and inferred types.

TypeScript 4.3 added the override keyword, providing a more explicit way for class methods to indicate they are overriding a method from a base class. This version also introduced improvements to template string types, expanding their capabilities.

TypeScript 4.4 introduced control flow analysis for destructured variables, enhancing the precision of type checking for destructuring assignments. This version also added the –useUnknownInCatchVariables flag, improving the handling of catch clause variables.

TypeScript 4.5 added support for ECMAScript modules in Node.js, aligning TypeScript more closely with Node.js module system developments. This version also introduced the Awaited type, making it easier to work with types of resolved promises.

TypeScript 4.6 continued to refine the language, adding improvements to control flow analysis and narrowing, as well as enhancements to the inlay hints feature in editors. This version also addressed several usability and performance issues.

TypeScript 4.7 introduced support for ES module interop in Node.js, further enhancing TypeScript's compatibility with modern JavaScript development practices. This version also added improvements to the type system, including more precise control flow analysis.

TypeScript 4.8 focused on improving language and compiler performance, addressing scalability challenges in large codebases. This version also included enhancements to error reporting, making it easier for developers to diagnose and fix issues in their code.

TypeScript 4.9 introduced improvements to the type checker and editor support, enhancing the development experience. This version also added new features to the language, including updates to tuple types and template literal types.

Throughout its development, TypeScript has continuously evolved, adding features that enhance its functionality, improve its performance, and ensure its compatibility with the latest JavaScript standards. By providing a powerful type system and tools for large-scale application development, TypeScript has become a key language in modern web development.

• https://www.typescriptlang.org Main Website
• https://github.com/microsoft TypeScript GitHub Repository

This history provides a comprehensive overview of TypeScript's evolution, highlighting its major milestones and the introduction of significant features with each version. TypeScript's official website and GitHub repository are valuable resources for further exploration and insights into the language's ongoing development.

Snippet from Wikipedia: TypeScript

TypeScript is a free and open-source high-level programming language developed by Microsoft that adds static typing with optional type annotations to JavaScript. It is designed for the development of large applications and transpiles to JavaScript..

TypeScript may be used to develop JavaScript applications for both client-side and server-side execution (as with Node.js, Deno or Bun). Multiple options are available for transpilation. The default TypeScript Compiler can be used, or the Babel compiler can be invoked to convert TypeScript to JavaScript.

TypeScript supports definition files that can contain type information of existing JavaScript libraries, much like C++ header files can describe the structure of existing object files. This enables other programs to use the values defined in the files as if they were statically typed TypeScript entities. There are third-party header files for popular libraries such as jQuery, MongoDB, and D3.js. TypeScript headers for the Node.js library modules are also available, allowing development of Node.js programs within TypeScript.

The TypeScript compiler is itself written in TypeScript and compiled to JavaScript. It is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. Anders Hejlsberg, lead architect of C# and creator of Delphi and Turbo Pascal, has worked on the development of TypeScript.

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Snippet from Wikipedia: JavaScript

JavaScript (), often abbreviated as JS, is a programming language and core technology of the Web, alongside HTML and CSS. 99% of websites use JavaScript on the client side for webpage behavior.

Web browsers have a dedicated JavaScript engine that executes the client code. These engines are also utilized in some servers and a variety of apps. The most popular runtime system for non-browser usage is Node.js.

JavaScript is a high-level, often just-in-time compiled language that conforms to the ECMAScript standard. It has dynamic typing, prototype-based object-orientation, and first-class functions. It is multi-paradigm, supporting event-driven, functional, and imperative programming styles. It has application programming interfaces (APIs) for working with text, dates, regular expressions, standard data structures, and the Document Object Model (DOM).

The ECMAScript standard does not include any input/output (I/O), such as networking, storage, or graphics facilities. In practice, the web browser or other runtime system provides JavaScript APIs for I/O.

Although Java and JavaScript are similar in name, syntax, and respective standard libraries, the two languages are distinct and differ greatly in design.

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