Microsoft Announcement: Typescript Rewrite

Overview

• Microsoft has announced an unexpected rewrite of the beloved Typescript programming language.
• Typescript, crucial to modern web development, has been rewritten due to limitations in its original implementation.

Reason for Rewrite

• The main issue is that the Typescript language is written in Typescript itself.
• Typescript lacks optimization for building projects like Typescript, particularly in areas like direct memory access and native multi-threading.

Language Choice

• The surprising choice for the rewrite was Go, developed by Google, rather than C++, C, or Rust.

Benefits of Go

1. Performance:

   • Go is a compiled language that converts code into optimized machine code for all CPUs.
   • It provides significant speed enhancements, making the compiler up to 10 times faster.

2. Portability:

   • Not a total rewrite but a code port; Typescript's code is converted into equivalent Go code while preserving original semantics.
   • Maintains existing behavior but with improved speed.

3. Ease of Use:

   • Go uses garbage collection for automatic memory management, simplifying development compared to C++ or Rust.

Impact

• Major performance gains are expected for developers, particularly in VS Code where large Typescript projects tend to be sluggish.
• The rewrite will potentially reduce compile times significantly.

Release Timeline

• The new compiler will be released when Typescript 7 arrives, anticipated to take months or possibly years.

Conclusion

• Microsoft has been praised for choosing Go, focusing on problem-solving over in-house pride.
• This decision reflects a prioritization of practical tool use over trend-following in programming languages.

Sponsor Note

• Sentry is featured as a sponsor, offering tools to enhance error tracking and code performance monitoring, recommended for handling complex codebases.

Video Conclusion

• The announcement emphasizes that Microsoft’s decision is a starting point for long-term improvements.
• Additional resources and sponsorship details are provided for viewers interested in exploring new tools like Sentry.