explaingit

microsoft/typescript-go

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

25,329GoAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

Microsoft's experimental TypeScript compiler rewritten in Go for dramatically faster build times. Available as a preview package on npm.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Compiles TypeScript code
      Type-checks JavaScript
      Generates output files
    Why it matters
      Much faster builds
      Parallel processing
      Experimental preview
    How to use it
      Install from npm
      VS Code extension
      Drop-in replacement
    Tech stack
      Go language
      TypeScript 7
      npm package
    Status
      Core features working
      Language service pending
      Not production-ready
    Audience
      TypeScript developers
      Performance-focused teams
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Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Speed up TypeScript compilation in large projects by switching to the Go-based compiler preview.

USE CASE 2

Test faster build times in your existing TypeScript codebase without major code changes.

USE CASE 3

Experiment with the next-generation TypeScript compiler through the VS Code extension.

What is it built with?

GoTypeScriptnpmVS Code

How does it compare?

microsoft/typescript-goasdf-vm/asdfgocolly/colly
Stars25,32925,33025,275
LanguageGoGoGo
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity3/52/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Use freely for any purpose including commercial. Keep the notice and disclose changes to the patent grant.

In plain English

TypeScript is a widely-used programming language that adds type-checking to JavaScript, it catches common coding errors before your code ever runs. Normally, TypeScript is itself written in TypeScript, which means compiling large projects can be slow. This repository, typescript-go, is Microsoft's work to rewrite the TypeScript compiler in Go, a language known for speed and efficient parallel processing. The goal is dramatically faster build times. The project is called TypeScript 7 (or tsgo) and is available as a preview on npm under the name @typescript/native-preview. You can also try it through a preview extension in VS Code (Visual Studio Code, a popular code editor) by enabling a single experimental setting. Most core features, parsing code, checking types, generating output files, are already working and match the behavior of TypeScript 6.0. Some features like the language service and JavaScript-specific handling are still in progress. You would use this if you are a developer working on a TypeScript project and want to experiment with significantly faster compilation speeds. It is not yet production-ready, but Microsoft plans to eventually merge this work back into the main TypeScript repository. The tool is written in Go.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
How do I install and use the TypeScript Go compiler preview in my existing TypeScript project?
Prompt 2
What are the differences between TypeScript 6.0 and the TypeScript 7 Go preview in terms of features and compatibility?
Prompt 3
How do I enable the TypeScript Go compiler in VS Code using the experimental preview extension?
Prompt 4
Which TypeScript features are fully supported in the Go compiler preview and which are still in progress?

Frequently asked questions

What is typescript-go?

Microsoft's experimental TypeScript compiler rewritten in Go for dramatically faster build times. Available as a preview package on npm.

What language is typescript-go written in?

Mainly Go. The stack also includes Go, TypeScript, npm.

What license does typescript-go use?

Use freely for any purpose including commercial. Keep the notice and disclose changes to the patent grant.

How hard is typescript-go to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is typescript-go for?

Mainly developer.

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