Dart vs TypeScript: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the key differences between Dart and TypeScript. Both Dart and TypeScript are widely used programming languages, but they have some distinct features that set them apart from each other.

1. Null Safety: One significant difference between Dart and TypeScript is the approach to null safety. Dart has a built-in null safety feature where nullability is explicitly defined using type annotations, allowing developers to catch null reference errors during compile-time. On the other hand, TypeScript does not have native null safety and relies on the usage of optional types and strict null checks to handle nullability issues.

2. Static vs Dynamic Typing: Dart is a statically typed language, meaning that variables are explicitly declared with their types, and type checking is performed at compile-time. TypeScript, on the other hand, supports both static and dynamic typing. It allows static typing through type annotations, but it also allows dynamic typing by utilizing the 'any' type, which can be used to represent any type.

3. Language Development: Dart was specifically designed by Google as a language for building web and mobile applications, with a focus on simplicity and productivity. TypeScript, on the other hand, is a superset of JavaScript developed by Microsoft. It aims to enhance JavaScript by adding static typing, classes, interfaces, and other features while preserving backward compatibility with JavaScript.

4. Compilation Process: Dart is compiled to native machine code or JavaScript, depending on the target platform. The Dart Virtual Machine (VM) provides a just-in-time (JIT) compilation for better performance during development and a ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation for production deployment. On the contrary, TypeScript is transpiled to plain JavaScript before execution, making it compatible with all modern web browsers.

5. Tooling Support: Dart has its own dedicated Integrated Development Environment (IDE) called DartPad, which provides a seamless coding experience for Dart development. It also integrates with popular editors like Visual Studio Code. TypeScript, on the other hand, benefits from the wide ecosystem of JavaScript tools and has excellent support in many popular IDEs, including Visual Studio Code, WebStorm, and Sublime Text.

6. Community and Adoption: Dart has gained traction as the primary language for developing Flutter applications, a popular framework for building cross-platform mobile apps. It also has a growing community and is supported by Google. TypeScript, on the other hand, has a significantly larger community due to its strong association with JavaScript and its use in large-scale JavaScript projects. TypeScript is widely adopted by companies like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook.

In summary, Dart and TypeScript differ in terms of null safety, static vs dynamic typing, language development, compilation process, tooling support, and community adoption. These differences make them suitable for different use cases and preferences of developers.