Exploring the Decision: Why Choose JavaScript Over TypeScript in Modern Web Development?
Recently, I encountered a freelance project that has sparked some reflection on the underlying technology choices in web development. The project, initiated three months ago by two developers, was reportedly approximately 80% complete. However, upon review, it became apparent that the codebase is quite disorganized, with pressing deployment deadlines approaching and the team considering starting over from scratch after the upcoming release.
The existing codebase presents several challenges. Version control practices are lax โ commits are made directly to the main branch, with only three pull requests ever submitted, the first of which involved removing an astonishing one million lines of code. When I inquired about the frameworks in use, the response was vague: the frontend is identified as React, and the backend appears to be Express, though no official documentation or clarity is available. Additionally, the backend crashes frequently, requiring manual restarts, which was traced to missing dependencies like Redis on their local setup.
What stood out most upon reviewing the repository was that approximately 80% of the code was written in JavaScript, despite the project being only three months old. Given that this is a relatively recent project, not a legacy codebase, it raises a critical question:
Is there any valid reason to initiate a new project in JavaScript instead of TypeScript in 2025?
The Case for TypeScript in Modern Development
TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript that adds static typing, has become increasingly popular among developers for several compelling reasons:
- Improved Code Maintainability: TypeScriptโs static type system helps catch errors early in the development process, reducing bugs and making the codebase easier to understand and refactor.
- Enhanced Developer Experience: Features like IntelliSense, better autocompletion, and inline documentation streamline development and reduce debugging time.
- Scalability: For larger projects or teams, TypeScript offers structure that facilitates collaboration, code reviews, and onboarding.
- Community and Ecosystem Support: Most modern frameworks and libraries have excellent TypeScript support, which encourages best practices.
When Might JavaScript Still Be Justified?
While TypeScript offers numerous advantages, there are scenarios where opting for plain JavaScript might be considered acceptable:
- Prototyping and Rapid Proofs of Concept: When speed is essential, and formal type safety is less critical.
- Smaller or Short-Lived Projects: For simple scripts or one-off