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Adopting TypeScript – Tips from Our Transition

August 22, 2019

Switching from JavaScript to TypeScript doesn’t have to be all at once. We migrated a mid-size project over several weeks and learned a lot along the way.

Why Move to TypeScript?

  • Catches common bugs at compile time
  • Improves code editor support (autocomplete, refactoring)
  • Makes collaboration easier with better-defined types

Step 1: Enable Gradual Typing

Use allowJs to let JavaScript and TypeScript files coexist:

// tsconfig.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "allowJs": true,
    "checkJs": false,
    "outDir": "./dist",
    "target": "es6",
    "module": "commonjs"
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"]
}

This way, we converted files incrementally.

Step 2: Add JSDoc for Existing JS

For files not yet converted, add basic JSDoc types:

/**
 * @param {string} name
 * @returns {string}
 */
function greet(name) {
  return `Hello, ${name}`;
}

This gave us editor type checking without converting everything to .ts.

Step 3: Convert Files Slowly

We started by converting utility functions and new files to .ts.

  • Kept .js files untouched where stable
  • Converted shared types to .d.ts or .ts files
  • Used type aliases and any when stuck, then refined

Step 4: Deal with Third-Party Types

Many packages don’t ship types. Use DefinitelyTyped:

npm install --save-dev @types/lodash

Or add your own quick fix in types.d.ts:

declare module 'my-untagged-lib';

Wins We Saw Early

  • Found bugs like undefined props
  • Simplified debugging with better autocomplete
  • Cleaner function contracts and return types

Common Tips

  • Don’t rewrite the app all at once
  • Use any and @ts-ignore only temporarily
  • Start with the files that get touched the most
  • Define shared interfaces and types early

The migration wasn’t free, but TypeScript brought real, daily benefits. If your team is on the fence, try a partial rollout and see how it improves the workflow.

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