What is the Difference Between TypeScript and ES6?

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TypeScript and ES6 (also known as ECMAScript 2015 or ES2015) are both popular JavaScript supersets, but they have some key differences:

  1. Data Types: TypeScript supports all primitive data types, while ES6 does not support all data types.
  2. Features: TypeScript contains features such as generics, type annotations, type inference, enums, and interfaces, which are not supported in ES6.
  3. Classes: TypeScript has three types of classes (Fields, Constructors, and Functions), while ES6 has two types of classes.
  4. Introduction Year: ES6 was introduced in 2015, while TypeScript was introduced in 2012.
  5. Developer: TypeScript is developed and maintained by Microsoft under the Apache 2 license, while ES6 is a standardized scripting language specification by ECMA International.
  6. Compilation: TypeScript requires a compiler to compile and generate JavaScript files, while ES6 can be transpiled using tools like Babel or other transpilers.

In summary, TypeScript is a strongly typed superset of JavaScript that adds more features to the language, while ES6 is a major enhancement to the JavaScript language with some new features and syntax improvements. If you prefer a statically typed language with additional features like generics and interfaces, TypeScript might be a better choice for you. However, if you are comfortable with the dynamic nature of JavaScript and want to stay closer to the standard, ES6 could be a suitable option.

Comparative Table: TypeScript vs ES6

Here is a table comparing the differences between TypeScript and ES6:

Feature TypeScript ES6
Static Type Checking Adds static type checking to JavaScript, helping to catch errors before runtime. ES6 is a new version of JavaScript with updated syntax and features but does not add static type checking.
Superset of JavaScript TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript, which means it adds new features to the language. ES6 is an updated version of JavaScript, not a superset.
Strongly Typed Date Literals TypeScript has strongly typed date literals. ES6 does not have strongly typed date literals.

In summary, ES6 is an updated version of JavaScript with new syntax and features, while TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that adds static type checking and other features to the language.