Running TypeScript with a runner

In the previous article, we learned how to run TypeScript code using transpilation. In this article, we will learn how to run TypeScript code using a runner.

Running TypeScript code with ts-node

ts-node is a TypeScript execution environment for Node.js. It allows you to run TypeScript code directly in Node.js without the need to compile it first. Note, however, that it does not type check your code. So we recommend to type check your code first with tsc and then run it with ts-node before shipping it.

To use ts-node, you need to install it first:

npm i -D ts-node

Then you can run your TypeScript code like this:

npx ts-node example.ts

Running TypeScript code with tsx

tsx is another TypeScript execution environment for Node.js. It allows you to run TypeScript code directly in Node.js without the need to compile it first. Note, however, that it does not type check your code. So we recommend to type check your code first with tsc and then run it with tsx before shipping it.

To use tsx, you need to install it first:

npm i -D tsx

Then you can run your TypeScript code like this:

npx tsx example.ts

Registering tsx via node

If you want to use tsx via node, you can register tsx via --import:

node --import=tsx example.ts