Node.js is able to execute TypeScript files without additional configuration

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

What Node’s TypeScript Support Actually Does

  • Node 22.18 can load .ts by stripping type syntax to whitespace and running the result as JavaScript.
  • No type checking is performed; types are treated like comments.
  • Only the “erasable” subset of TypeScript works by default; features that emit JS (enums, parameter properties, namespaces, some decorators) are unsupported unless using experimental flags.
  • Some commenters argue the title “execute TypeScript” is misleading since it’s effectively “execute TS-without-emitting-features.”

Benefits and Practical Use Cases

  • Removes the need for a separate TS transpilation step in many workflows, especially for:
    • Small scripts, CLIs, and maintenance helpers.
    • Faster edit–run cycles during development.
  • No sourcemaps are needed, which can simplify debugging and reduce runtime overhead.
  • Node exposes a stripTypeScriptTypes API, enabling “buildless” TS webapps by stripping types on the server before sending JS to the browser.

Limitations and Risks

  • Type safety is unchanged; you must still run tsc (or similar) in CI/editor, or you risk confusing runtime errors.
  • Some see it as a net negative: it may encourage running code without ever doing full type checks and push people to avoid useful TS-only features (enums, decorators, constructor properties).
  • Node explicitly does not strip types in node_modules, to discourage publishing TS-only packages; this disappoints people who wanted to depend on TS source directly.
  • Reports of breakage where tools like ts-node/tsx now accidentally hit Node’s more limited TS support.

Impact on TypeScript Usage

  • Several think this reinforces a view of TS as “just a linter,” not a language with runtime semantics.
  • Others lean into that: they prefer erasable-syntax-only TS so the source remains close to plain JS and avoids historical “regret” features.

Comparisons: Bun, Deno, Other Runtimes

  • Many note Bun and Deno have supported TS execution “properly” for years and still offer better test runners and DX in some opinions.
  • Counterpoints: Bun is seen as less stable/compatible and VC-dependent; Node is “boring,” foundation-backed, and the ecosystem baseline.
  • Some say these competitors clearly pushed Node to improve.

Node’s Broader Trajectory

  • Commenters list recent Node improvements: native .env loading, --watch, built-in test runner, ESM syntax detection, permissions, better stdlib (undici, fs/promises), and now TS stripping.
  • Some feel Node + TS + node:test is finally “usable by default”; others still find the ecosystem fragile and prefer Python, .NET, or Go.