mellow orchid
Hey everyone, I'm trying to set up a TypeScript Node.js backend using ESM and ts-node, but I'm struggling to get the right configurations.
I’ve seen some templates, but many suggest using a bundler (which I believe is more for frontend). Does anyone have a base template or recommended settings for this setup?
plain mountain
i would recommend not using ts-node if you aren't familiar with the typical ts set up already
mellow orchid
What would you recommend instead?
plain mountain
tbh i'd recommend just using tsc + node
mellow orchid
Do I need anything apart from that?
plain mountain
though, recently node is getting some capability to run ts directly with strip-types
if you do want a ts runner, tsx seems to be a modern version of ts-node
plain mountain
Do I need anything apart from that?
you don't need anything else, no
mellow orchid
What a ts runner allows is that it is faster to develop because you don't have to generate a build everytime you make a change right?
plain mountain
basically, yes
mellow orchid
So tsx maybe a nice add to my project
plain mountain
sure
in that case, i'd recommend understanding the basic tsc+node first, then adding tsx on to that for ease of use
mellow orchid
Well I need to learn and do at the same time lol
Now I also added two ts configurations: allowtsextensions and addrelativeimports otherwise you have to use .js extensions with .ts files.
Learning curve isn't that complicated with tsx opposed to ts-node. Would you say?
plain mountain
can't say, i don't use either
.js extensions with .ts files.
this is the correct use in the case of building to js with tsc, btw
delicate notch
tsx largely is a drop-in replacement for ts-node.
mellow orchid
> .js extensions with .ts files.
this is the correct use in the case of building...
But now you can enable rewriterelativeimportextensions and allowimporttsextensions
And that allows for using .ts in the imports
What do you think? Isn't it better?
delicate notch
I would just use .js extensions
plain mountain
ah, that's landed now?
mellow orchid
Yeah a few days ago
plain mountain
i'd personally still use .js probably
mellow orchid
Even in work projects you only use tsc?
plain mountain
i don't work
delicate notch
We use tsc as part of our build step and run the JS code at my work, yeah. Probably it'd be fine to have something like tsx running on our production instances, but it's just one less variable to have to deal with.
mellow orchid
But isn't tsx something used for running ts in development instances?
plain mountain
tsx is just something that compiles ts and immediately runs it
how you use it is up to you
mellow orchid
So with tsx I can quit tsc for production
plain mountain
please don't advertise your dms.
delicate notch
Just kicked them if that's going to be how they join the server
delicate notch
First message AFAICT.
plain mountain
yeah seems like it
mellow orchid
So with tsx I can quit tsc for production
?
delicate notch
I don't personally recommend it.
mellow orchid
Why not?
delicate notch
Probably it'd be fine to have something like tsx running on our production instances, but it's just one less variable to have to deal with.
mellow orchid
Got it
plain mountain
also with tsx you'd be lazy transpiling, wouldn't you
mellow orchid
Ok then I will rewrite imports from .ts to .js, remove ts-node and add tsx (for ease of prototyping)
Feels better?
One thing I noticed with imports is that I can't no longer use barrels and now you have to reference it by index.js.
delicate notch
Yeah, ESM doesn't support importing directories
plain mountain
yeah that's a feature of cjs that esm doesn't have
mellow orchid
What's the alternative?
delicate notch
You could compile your code down to CJS - which is the older, node-specific module format; but I probably wouldn't recommend it.
https://nodejs.org/api/esm.html is the documentation on ESM specifics in node
mellow orchid
But I mean is there a workaround to barrels?
delicate notch
Importing the index file, like you said.
mellow orchid
Or just do straight imports instead?
delicate notch
The old version was just a shortcut for requiring the index file.
mellow orchid
I mean technically the idea of the index file is to do a barrel. Then I'd rather remove it and do straight imports.
delicate notch
Sure? I don't personally like barrels or recommend them.
delicate notch
But I'm not really sure why it's related to the change from "import fooBarrel from "./foo" to import fooBarrel from "./foo/index.js"
mellow orchid
I didn't understand what you just said
What I meant is that I'd rather remove barrels from my code since they can't be used. So I would remove index files
delicate notch
Barrel files can still be used, they're just imported differently.
A file at foo/index.js that imports and exports the contents of the foo directory is still a barrel file even if you have to explicitly import it as foo/index.js
"Barrel files" is really just a specific convention of organizing code, not a language feature.
The only actual runtime change is that CJS allows you to omit "/index.js" from import paths and ESM does not.
mellow orchid
Yeah but maybe the nice thing was to omit the /index in the imports
Do you think tsconfig bases node23 is a good starter?
delicate notch
If you're using node 23, yeah.
mellow orchid
I'm having issues importing a json file https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70106880/err-import-assertion-type-missing-for-import-of-json-file
And with and assert are only used when module is set to esnext node18 nodenext
Thoughts?
mellow orchid
I did a few chatgpt queries and resolve it. Thank you anyways
mellow orchid
Wow! Using tsx and it was immediately working
not my job lol