Prettier vs TSLint: What are the differences?

Introduction

Prettier and TSLint are both popular tools used for code formatting and enforcing coding standards. While they serve similar purposes, there are key differences between the two.

1. Installation and Configuration: Prettier does not require any additional configuration and can be easily installed using a package manager. TSLint, on the other hand, needs to be configured by setting up rules and configuring a tslint.json file for each project.

2. Scope of Checks: Prettier focuses mainly on formatting code, such as indentation, line length, and spacing. It does not provide extensive checks for semantic or coding errors. TSLint, however, includes a wide range of rules to enforce coding standards, catch potential bugs, and maintain code quality.

3. Extensibility: Prettier is less flexible and does not allow much customization. It has a fixed set of rules that cannot be altered. TSLint, on the other hand, is highly customizable and allows developers to define their own rules or extend existing ones based on the project's specific requirements.

4. Integration with Editors: Prettier integrates seamlessly with a variety of editors and IDEs, providing a convenient way to format code on file save or using keyboard shortcuts. TSLint also integrates with editors but is primarily used during the linting process, providing a feedback loop to developers while they write code.

5. Maintenance and Support: Prettier is actively maintained and regularly updated with new features and bug fixes. TSLint, on the other hand, is gradually being deprecated in favor of ESLint, a more comprehensive tool that combines both linting and code formatting features.

6. Community Adoption: Prettier has gained significant popularity and is widely adopted by developers across various languages and frameworks. TSLint, while still widely used, has seen a decrease in popularity since the announcement of its deprecation in favor of ESLint.

In summary, Prettier is a code formatter that focuses on code formatting only and is easy to set up, while TSLint is a linter that provides extensive checks for coding standards and allows for greater customization but is being deprecated in favor of ESLint.