Top 13 TypeScript Libraries and Runtimes to Know as a Developer

TypeScript has quickly become one of the most popular languages for web development, thanks to its optional typing, excellent tooling, and interoperability with JavaScript. This guide explores 13 essential TypeScript libraries and runtimes that can help you build robust web apps efficiently.

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Why Choose TypeScript?

Before diving into the libraries, let‘s briefly go over some of TypeScript‘s main benefits:

  • Type safety – TypeScript adds types like interfaces and enums that catch bugs during compilation that would otherwise crash at runtime. This leads to fewer bugs and faster debugging.

  • Refactoring and auto-complete – The editor has full understanding of your types, making refactors safe and auto-complete more useful.

  • Popular for large apps – Scalability was a primary design goal of TypeScript. Features like modular namespaces and access control make it great for complex programs.

  • Gradual adoption – You can rename .js files to .ts and benefit from types without rewriting your entire codebase.

1. Zod

Zod makes validations and parsing easy by allowing you to define schemas for your data models. For example:

const userSchema = z.object({
  username: z.string(),
  age: z.number()  
});

// later...
const user = userSchema.parse({ username: "Alice", age: 101 });

Benefits include:

  • Zero dependencies
  • Small bundle size
  • Flexible schemas
  • Works in TS and JS projects
  • Great error messages

Overall, Zod is ideal for validating input data like forms and API responses.

2. NestJS

NestJS is a robust Node.js framework for building scalable server-side TypeScript applications. It leverages common design patterns like dependency injection and modular organization to create testable, maintainable architectures.

Features include:

  • Built-in features like validation pipes, throttling, caching
  • Integration with libraries like TypeORM, Swagger
  • Decorators for HTTP services
  • CLI tooling for tasks like scaffolding

Nest makes backend development extremely productive. The architecture also helps with testability and separation of concerns.

3. TypeGraphQL

TypeGraphQL is the go-to library for building GraphQL APIs with TypeScript. It allows creating schemas and resolvers using only classes and decorators:

@Resolver()
class RecipeResolver {

  @Query(() => [Recipe])
  recipes() {
    return getRecipes(); 
  }

  @Mutation(() => Recipe)
  addRecipe(@Arg("data") data: RecipeInput) {
    const recipe = createRecipe(data); 
    return recipe;
  }
}

Benefits:

  • Rapid API development
  • Type safety
  • Integration with databases & services
  • Authorization, validation, etc. out of the box

Overall, TypeGraphQL supercharges your API workflow.

4. Cypress

Cypress is a complete end-to-end testing framework for anything that runs in a browser. It allows you to:

  • Travel through time to pinpoint where things went wrong
  • Ensure every user journey works as expected
  • Integrate with tools like GitHub
  • Debug tests visually with no effort

Cypress helps deliver bug-free UIs with brittle tests using its reliable async model.

5. RxJS

RxJS brings reactive programming to JavaScript and TypeScript. This paradigm allows you to work with async data streams using an intuitive API:

import { fromEvent, map } from "rxjs";

fromEvent(document, ‘click‘)
  .pipe(
     map(event => event.clientX)  
  )
  .subscribe(positionX => {
    // handle value  
  });

Benefits:

  • Composable async code
  • Error handling
  • Cancelation
  • Flow control operators
  • Great for real-time apps

The RxJS library makes taming complex async logic simple.

6. TypeORM

TypeORM provides an ORM for working with databases in TypeScript. It supports SQL engines like MySQL, Postgres, SQLite and more.

Features include:

  • Entity modeling
  • Migrations
  • Relation mapping
  • Transaction management
  • Connection pooling
  • Replication & more

For accessing databases in Node & browser apps, TypeORM provides excellent type safety with minimal configuration.

7. Prettier

Prettier is a ubiquitous code formatter that automatically styles TypeScript and JS code: 

function foo(x) {
  return x + 1;  
}

// Prettier formats this to:

function foo(x) {
  return x + 1
}

Benefits:

  • Universal style conventions
  • Integrates with all editors
  • Supports TypeScript, JavaScript, CSS, JSON, etc.
  • Custom config options

By taking style choices out of your hands, Prettier lets teams collaborate seamlessly on formatting.

8. ESLint

ESLint analyzes TypeScript code for common issues like unused variables, security flaws, stylistic inconsistencies, and more. Rules can be tweaked through config files:

{
  "rules": {
    "@typescript-eslint/explicit-module-boundary-types": "error"
  }  
}

Benefits:

  • Hundreds of built-in rules
  • Sharable configs (like Airbnb style)
  • Extendable via plugins
  • Great integration and docs
  • Promotes quality TypeScript

For catching issues early, ESLint is indispensable.

9. Phaser

Phaser is a fast HTML5 game framework for building 2D browser games using TypeScript or JavaScript that can also compile to native app store formats.

It features things like:

  • WebGL & Canvas rendering
  • Visual scene editor
  • Physics engine
  • Cross-platform input handling
  • Particles, lighting and more

For indie games developers, Phaser delivers lots of power in a small package.

10. Apollo Client

Apollo Client is the industry standard for integrating GraphQL APIs into TypeScript frontends. Features:

  • Caching
  • Error handling
  • Optimistic UI
  • Reactive data management
  • Integrates with React, Vue, Angular

For working with GraphQL services, Apollo brings top-notch ergonomics.

11. Bun

Bun is an all-in-one runtime for running JavaScript and TypeScript outside the browser. Underneath lies the speedy JavaScript engine from Chrome.

Highlights include:

  • Faster installs by resolving imports at runtime
  • Built-in transpilation, packaging
  • Handy dev tools
  • Uses latest web platform features
  • Extensions for added functionality

For TypeScript development without Node.js, Bun is shaping up as a promising option.

12. Fastify

Fastify is a Node.js web framework focused on performance and developer experience:

fastify.get(‘/‘, (req, reply) => {
  return { hello: ‘world‘ }
})

Benefits:

  • Very fast – benchmarks show significant gains
  • Easy debugging
  • Extensible via plugins
  • Schema-based validation
  • TypeScript typings

For squeezing max throughput from Node.js REST APIs, check out Fastify.

13. Vite

Vite is an opinionated frontend build tool designed for lightning fast dev server starts, HMR, and bundle sizes.

Features:

  • Instant Server Starts
  • Lightning Fast HMR
  • On-Demand Compilation
  • Lean Output Without Bundles
  • ES Module Imports
  • Rich Plugin Ecosystem

For crafting SPA dev experiences that pop, Vite delivers.

Contributing to OSS TypeScript Projects

All of the tools above are open source. Here are some reasons to get involved:

  • Expand your skills by diving into real-world codebases
  • Introduce new features help thousands of other devs
  • Become deeply engaged with products you rely on
  • Gain visibility and advance your career

Great ways to start are through things like:

  • Reporting bugs and issues
  • Improving documentation
  • Building plugins and dev tools
  • Furthering inclusion and accessibility

Conclusion

This tour of essential TypeScript libraries and runtimes only scratches the surface of what‘s out there. From state management with Redux, to REST clients like Axios, to UI component frameworks like React, TypeScript infuses quality into every stage of modern web development through its focus on safety and tooling.

Hopefully this gave you ideas for some exciting new libraries to reach for on your next TypeScript project!

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