What is Erasable Syntax in Node.js?

Erasable Syntax refers to TypeScript features that can be removed without changing the logic of the code, such as type annotations and interfaces. This allows Node.js v24.11+ to run .ts files directly.

Do I still need to install TypeScript?

Yes, TypeScript is required as a development dependency to perform the actual type checking (via tsc --noEmit), even though it isn't used to transform your code.

What is build-free type checking?

It is a workflow where code is type-checked using the TypeScript compiler (tsc) for validation, but the files are executed directly by browsers or Node.js without an intermediate compilation step.

Can I use enums with this setup?

No. Features like enums and namespaces require code generation, which breaks the build-free workflow. This skill enforces 'erasableSyntaxOnly' to ensure compatibility.

Build-Free Type Checking

Name: Build-Free Type Checking
Author: paulirish

bypaulirish

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4,298

Developer Tools

Configures type safety for JavaScript and TypeScript projects without requiring a compilation or build step.

About

This skill enables developers to implement modern type safety in their projects without the overhead of a traditional build pipeline. It provides standardized configurations for using JSDoc annotations in browser-based vanilla JavaScript and leverages Erasable Syntax for native TypeScript execution in modern Node.js environments (v24.11.0+). This approach is ideal for developers who want the full benefits of IDE type support and strict error checking while maintaining code that runs directly in its target environment without transformation.

Key Features

JSDoc type checking configuration for vanilla JS projects
Native Node.js v24.11+ TypeScript execution support
Standardized tsconfig.json setup for erasableSyntaxOnly
Modern TS 5.5+ type import syntax implementation
Automated configuration of tsc --noEmit workflows
4,298 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Migrating Node.js projects to native TypeScript execution for faster dev cycles
Developing vanilla JS libraries with IDE type safety without a build step
Setting up strict type checking for browser-native prototyping

About

Key Features

JSDoc type checking configuration for vanilla JS projects
Native Node.js v24.11+ TypeScript execution support
Standardized tsconfig.json setup for erasableSyntaxOnly
Modern TS 5.5+ type import syntax implementation
Automated configuration of tsc --noEmit workflows
4,298 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Migrating Node.js projects to native TypeScript execution for faster dev cycles
Developing vanilla JS libraries with IDE type safety without a build step
Setting up strict type checking for browser-native prototyping