It's worth noting that TypeScript is a Microsoft product. As TypeScript has become increasingly popular, I'd imagine that Microsoft has also paid increasing amounts of attention to the JavaScript ecosystem.
I actually think microsoft is very much behind non-.net technologies as well nowadays.
My experience with their TypeScript initiative has been really smooth, feels like they're trying to improve JS instead of inventing something new (by sticking as close as possible to the ES.next specs). The generated JS is very close to the original, both in size as readability.
It seems Microsoft has influenced JavaScript/ES v6 with their TypeScript intermediate language lead by Anders Hejlsberg. Given the vast TypeScript code based that MS wrote for SharePoint 365, Visual Studio Online/Code, etc. it seems more than logical. But, read on:
BRENDAN [Eich (JavaScript creator)]: Again, TypeScript is
smart because it’s embracing and extending. Let’s hope
Microsoft doesn’t try to extinguish. That’s the third E.
JAMISON: [Laughs]
BRENDAN: I don’t think they will. I think they actually
bought into JavaScript at some level. And I’ve talked to
people like Anders Hejlsberg about this.
But Brendan Eich answered to my thread by replying to a parent:
ES6 and the Harmony agenda influenced TypeScript. Where
TS went its own way on things like open modules, MS has
promised to track the Ecma standard versions ASAP.
In particular, TS classes were purely an extension to
ES6's design, while ES6 was not frozen. There was not
feedback the other way, at least not phrased in terms of
TS -- the MS folks on TC39 had to make more generalized
arguments for changing the draft ES6 spec.
Maybe after more people know about Visual Studio Code some others share the "German angst" about their common business tactics a bit too. I would prefer if they don't turn JavaScript into C# Trojan horse style. Hopefully things have changed since Satya Nadella took over.
TypeScript is a popular JavaScript superset created by Microsoft that brings a type system on top of all the flexibility and dynamic programming capabilities of JavaScript.
Please don't bury this comment completely. I am going to be honest and tell you that I believe TypeScript is pure embrace, extend, extinguish from Microsoft. And I am amazed honestly that so many web developers are eating it up.
TypeScript is the least concerning one. If Microsoft somehow does something so outrageous that you can't stomach using TypeScript anymore, just compile it to JS permanently and call it a day.
At least to date, Microsoft stresses the "TypeScript is just JavaScript." New language features are added to ES6 and then wrapped with types in TypeScript.
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