JavaScript Is Dead - What You Need To Do

Summary

This video highlights the rapid rise of TypeScript over JavaScript in web development. With TypeScript becoming the dominant choice for modern projects due to its static typing and enhanced developer experience, the video explores key trends, statistics, and career benefits. It emphasizes how TypeScript developers are in high demand, with better job prospects and higher salaries compared to JavaScript-only developers. The video also provides practical advice on how to learn TypeScript quickly and how even basic knowledge can significantly improve your development workflow.

Takeaways

• 😀 TypeScript is rapidly overtaking JavaScript, becoming the preferred language for developers.
• 😀 In 2016, only 25% of developers used TypeScript, while by 2025, 67% of developers use it full-time.
• 😀 A significant factor driving TypeScript's growth is its higher salary potential compared to JavaScript developers.
• 😀 TypeScript helps developers make fewer mistakes (17% less) and reduces bug fix time by 31%.
• 😀 28% of developers use TypeScript exclusively, while only 11% still use pure JavaScript as of 2022.
• 😀 Companies are increasingly requiring TypeScript skills, with job listings for TypeScript roles growing faster than for JavaScript.
• 😀 In the front-end job market, 82% of jobs prefer or require TypeScript knowledge, while only 18% are for JavaScript-only roles.
• 😀 TypeScript's use is positively correlated with developer satisfaction and reduced error rates in code.
• 😀 TypeScript’s features like type narrowing, built-in types, and autocompletion make it easier to develop and catch errors.
• 😀 TypeScript is not difficult to learn; developers can quickly master the basics in a few hours and gain significant productivity benefits.
• 😀 Learning TypeScript provides long-term career advantages, including access to higher-paying jobs and improved job opportunities across industries.

Q & A

Why does the video claim JavaScript is dying?

The video suggests that while JavaScript is still highly popular, its dominance is being overtaken by TypeScript. TypeScript's features, like static typing, are attracting developers, and its usage has rapidly increased over the years, making JavaScript less relevant in newer projects.

What key data supports the idea that TypeScript is surpassing JavaScript?

The video presents survey data from 2016 to 2025, showing a steady rise in TypeScript usage. For instance, in 2016, only 25% of developers used TypeScript, but by 2025, this number had grown to 67%, while only 10% of developers used pure JavaScript.

What role does static typing play in the rise of TypeScript?

Static typing, a key feature of TypeScript, is highly valued by developers. In a 2021 survey, developers identified static typing as the most significant missing feature in JavaScript, which TypeScript addresses effectively.

How does the use of TypeScript impact developer salaries?

Developers using TypeScript tend to earn higher salaries than those using pure JavaScript. The video shows that 73% of the highest-paid developers use TypeScript almost exclusively, compared to just 64% in lower salary brackets.

What does the job market look like for TypeScript developers?

The job market for TypeScript developers is thriving. The video highlights that there are significantly more job listings for React developers who know TypeScript (89,000) compared to those who know only JavaScript (39,000). Additionally, 82% of front-end developer roles either require or prefer TypeScript knowledge.

What evidence contradicts the claim that TypeScript makes developers slower?

The video references research showing that teams using TypeScript had 17.3% fewer mistakes, fixed bugs 31% faster, developed features 18.9% faster, and onboarded new developers 27% faster than teams using pure JavaScript.

How do TypeScript and JavaScript compare in terms of error rates and development speed?

TypeScript outperforms JavaScript in reducing errors and speeding up development. According to a research journal mentioned in the video, TypeScript teams made fewer mistakes, took less time to fix bugs, and developed features faster than JavaScript teams working on the same size projects.

How does TypeScript contribute to developer satisfaction?

The video discusses a correlation between the increasing use of TypeScript and higher developer satisfaction. As more developers adopted TypeScript, satisfaction with development improved, primarily due to fewer errors and a smoother development process.

Why is TypeScript more popular than React in terms of npm downloads?

The video points out that TypeScript has more weekly npm downloads (94 million) than React (61 million), despite React being a core part of the front-end ecosystem. This suggests TypeScript’s wider adoption beyond just React development.

What are the basic steps for learning TypeScript, according to the video?

The video outlines a clear, step-by-step approach to learning TypeScript: start by learning how to define types and functions, move on to advanced features like type modifiers, and explore TypeScript's built-in types and type narrowing. By learning these basics, developers can start using TypeScript effectively in just a few hours.