Beginner's Guide: Your TypeScript Starter Kit

Beginner's Guide: Your TypeScript Starter Kit

Quick Start: Setting Up TypeScript

Are you ready to dive into the world of TypeScript? Before we embark on this exciting journey, let's make sure you have all the necessary tools at your disposal. In this blog post, we'll cover the essential prerequisites you'll need to make the most of your TypeScript learning experience.

Prerequisites

To get started with TypeScript development, you'll need to set up a few key tools. Let's break them down:

1. NVM (Node Version Manager)

NVM is your best friend when it comes to managing Node.js versions. It allows you to:

  • Install multiple Node.js versions

  • Switch between versions effortlessly

  • Avoid version conflicts across projects

2. NPM (Node Package Manager)

NPM is the go-to package manager for Node.js. With NPM, you can:

  • Install, update, and manage Node packages

  • Access over 1 million open-source packages

  • Simplify dependency management in your projects

3. TypeScript

The star of the show! TypeScript is a statically-typed superset of JavaScript that:

  • Improves developer experience and code quality

  • Adds optional static typing, classes, interfaces, and more

  • Is maintained by Microsoft

4. VS Code

Visual Studio Code is a powerful, lightweight code editor that:

  • Supports a wide range of programming languages

  • Offers rich features and extensions

  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Setting Up Your Environment

Now that you know what you need, let's get everything installed!

Installing NVM and Node.js 20

brew install nvm
nvm install 20
nvm use 20

Ensuring NPM is Installed

NPM should come with Node.js, but if you need to install it separately:

brew install nodejs

Getting TypeScript

Install TypeScript globally with:

npm install -g typescript

Setting Up VS Code

1. Download Visual Studio Code for macOS.

2. Extract the archive if necessary.

  • Drag the Visual Studio Code.app to your Applications folder.

4. Open VS Code and add it to your Dock for easy access.

Ready to Code!

With these tools in place, you're all set to start your TypeScript adventure.

Happy coding!

---

Remember, having a solid grasp of JavaScript basics will help you make the most of this TypeScript journey. If you need to brush up on your JavaScript skills, there are plenty of great resources available online.

Stay tuned for our upcoming lessons where we'll dive deep into TypeScript and start building amazing projects together!