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eitlandHNSource author
Lessons learnedExperience excerpt · English

Short answer: It is worth it if you want me on the team

Short answer: It is worth it if you want me on the team. I refuse to work with anyone who throws out TS for JS in 2023. Slightly longer answer: I have said a number of times "Javascript is a simple version of Java in the same way as a bike with one wheel is a simpler version of an ordinary bike." The same can be said about JS and TS. If you want to do any serious work you go for the serious thing even if it means occasional adjustment of brakes and gears, or in Typescripts case, sometimes figuring out something. If anybody suggest to use Javascript today I won't take them seriously. i) I have used Typeescript since 2017. For some reason I don't have these problems and never had. ii) Yes, some libraries are poorly documented, that is for me a reason to prove why I am a software engineer by either figuring it out, complain until they fix it or even better use my gut feeling and use some libraries that aren't stuck 10 years ago. iii) Error messages can be hard, but compared to debugging the mess that happens without typing it isn't hard at all. …

Original discussionIs TypeScript actually worth It?443 source comments · at import
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roberttodHN

I have been using TypeScript for a few years now, and I haven't yet been convinced that I would choose to use it if I had the choice; not just for my own personal projects but for large scale applications where the codebase is shared with many developers. I want to skip over the static typing benefits argument, because I think it is well understood that static typing is a good thing and if we could bless JavaScript with a built-in and robust typing system then I don't think many people would be against that. My issue is with the amount of extra work it places on developers, much of it the "dumb" kind of work which can eat up hours and doesn't deliver all that much value. i) It's a framework, with all the usual framework downsides For example, a new package you install can require a new TypesScript version. Once installed, you then may need to update your source code. This can place quite…

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zabzonkHN

whoever said that javascript was a simple version of java? the two languages have almost nothing in common - at least a unicycle and a bicycle share the concepts of "wheel" and "pedals".

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dfreireHN

I don’t want to sound harsh, but saying Javascript is a simpler version of Java just tells me you have never used Java seriously. It’s like saying Korean is a simpler version of Spanish. Yes, Java and Javascript are both programming languages, but they don’t even share the same paradigm. You might be confusing the motivation that led to the creation of Javascript with the actual implementation. Having said that, I have used Java professionally for more than 7 years, then I switched to mainly Javascript, and later to Typescript, and I’m never going back. I agree with your overall point.

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caporaltitoHN

Comparing Java & Javascript? This reminds me the last recruiter message I got on LinkedIn. "You are a Javascript expert, I have this mission for you with the same language! They're looking for a Java expert!"

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nforgeritHN

ha, If I was on that team I'd seriously consider opting for vanilla JS just for not having to work with you. People who make such absolute claims are in my experience causing more trouble than they're worth. They will always nit-pick on anything anyone is saying causing a toxic atmosphere. Frequently a little later I then figured out that such people think like that because they haven't seen enough of the world and the gigantic amount of options you have to solve your technical problems.

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phazeedaeHN

With a attitude like that, I wonder if it is worth having you on the team. Might just push me to pick JS then.

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