Do I have to compile my backend TypeScript code before deploying it to production?

Admittedly, the title may seem odd, but consider this: if we have a typescript file that can run in the browser without being compiled, why bother compiling it at all? It functions fine during development without requiring compilation.

Perhaps there are production-related factors that I am overlooking, but as far as I know now, there doesn't appear to be any necessity for compilation.

Answer №1

It is often assumed that a project can run without compiling, especially in development mode. However, this assumption is not entirely accurate.

During development, whether using Nest, ts-node, or deno, the TypeScript code is actually transpiled into JavaScript behind the scenes:

[ts-node] JIT transforms TypeScript into JavaScript, allowing direct execution on Node.js without precompiling. Read more about ts-node here

Deno, at a high level, converts TypeScript (as well as TSX and JSX) into JavaScript. Learn more from Deno docs

Although specific information was not found in the Nest Docs, the presence of the typescript package as a direct dependency of theNest CLI suggests that it is utilized for compilation purposes not just in development but also within the CLI itself before executing the project.


So, to address the initial question: Running a project in production with ts-node is indeed possible based on past experiences.

However, it may not be the best practice. Due to its JIT compilation nature, which trims out unnecessary components during execution, performance might be compromised. While efficient for development purposes, using ts-node-dev with its watch feature, avoiding full project recompilation, switching to JavaScript over TypeScript for production is recommended though not mandatory.

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