Scriptc by Vercel: TypeScript-to-Native compiler, no JavaScript engine in binary

aabhay

178kb?! What are you putting in there, a JVM?

satvikpendem

A lot of people are trying this now with AI, a native TypeScript compiler, for example https://github.com/PerryTS/pry . It's a compelling value proposition, TypeScript is already well typed and barring a few cases it can be turned into machine code without a JS runtime.

acmnrs

Porforr< https://porffor.dev > has been working towards the same goal for a while. The creator, CanadaHonk< https://honk.foo >, is extremely talented and the project still only passes ~68% of Test262. I'm more than a little suspicious of how Vercel has made so much progress so fast, unless I'm misunderstanding the scope of this project.

casper14

I like the idea.

sheept

One of the strengths of TypeScript besides its expressiveness is that it's compatible with the massive npm ecosystem. Most packages only ship untyped JavaScript with type declarations defining the interface,[0] so realistically you'd still need a JavaScript engine if you use any packages. But if you're starting from scratch and know you won't be using any npm packages, you might as well use AssemblyScript.[2] [0]: Publishing packages in TypeScript is explicitly discouraged by Node[1]. TypeScript isn't backwards compatible even in minor releases, and its compiler settings aren't portable for packages. [1]: https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/main/doc/api/typescript.... [2]: https://www.assemblyscript.org/

chilipepperhott

It's difficult to ignore how the README is filled with Claudisms.

xiaodai

how can you compile it if javascript is a valid subset of typescript? confused.

localhoster

Funny to see vercel is loosing all credibility under the influence of AI. Never liked their products anyway, so I believe it's a net positive for the industry :)

pdantix

another vercel labs thing that's been slopped together, hyped up on twitter and then left to be forgotten about in a few months time.