JavaScript is commonly seen as a flawed language. It has plenty of flaws, some of which are more painful than others. One common way that people deal with these flaws is to use another language that compiles to JavaScript and to then write their code in that other language.
At first, this sounds pretty appealing. You get to choose which of a few languages to use to address your complaints with JavaScript. Unhappy with the type system? Try out Dart, TypeScript, AtScript, Elm, or even PureScript. Want a more concise syntax? Perhaps CoffeeScript is your thing. Do you wish you were using a Lisp? Well, there are lots of options there as well, starting with ClojureScript or Parenscript. There are many choices.
My Project
My project involves creating a platform for building tools that is based on Atom Shell and uses a plug-in model to allow users to extend the core platform.
I also have some requirements:
- I need access to things that will be coming in future versions of JavaScript (and fairly soon). An example of this is support for working with 64 bit integers (a firm requirement).
- Given that we have a single deployment platform (Atom Shell, with a known version of the Chromium browser and the V8 JavaScript engine), it would be nice to be able to take advantage of developments as they occur.
- Users will be able to enter code within the application and have it run. This means that the compiler needs to be able to be distributed (easily) with the application and invoked on arbitrary user code.
- I don't want to limit people's options too much in how they produce their plug-ins. If someone wants to develop their plug-in in a language that compiles to JavaScript, it would be ideal if they could do so, as long as that language provides for sufficient interoperability.
Downsides?
I think that the upsides to compiling from another language to JavaScript are fairly well known and understood.
However, when evaluating whether or not to use an alternative language to compile to JavaScript or rather to write directly in JavaScript now, it seems there are some potential downsides.
Keeping up with JavaScript
JavaScript is constantly evolving. In fact, I am counting on and relying upon that evolution, given that I need some features in the future that aren't even specified yet (like decent support for 64 bit integers).
Using ES6 features isn't possible yet in many languages that compile to JavaScript. Some support ES3, some support ES5. Adding to this difficulty is that the decisions for what to support and when may not be something that is done in the open or on a short time frame.
The extent to which this matters in a language depends upon the extent to which the language differs from JavaScript versus being some form of sugar for JavaScript. For example, PureScript would probably care less about a lot of this, while this is more of an issue for TypeScript.
Bi-Directional Interoperability?
It is important to me that I be able to invoke JavaScript libraries from whatever language I am using. However, it is also important that I be able to write libraries in this language and be able to invoke them from JavaScript.
This isn't an issue for CoffeeScript or TypeScript, but it is an issue for PureScript and others where the interoperability is not bi-directional.
Loss of Control
Any time you start to use something that you don't write and manage yourself, you potentially lose some control. You need to convince another community that something is desirable, or useful, or even doable.
When working with JavaScript, you have already ceded a lot of control over your platform. By using Atom Shell, I've conceded even more. What happens if I need something from the language that I'm using that doesn't exist yet? How friendly to contributions is the language community? How set in stone are they?
Toolchain Support
Can the compiler and associated tools be shipped with my application? Does the compiler produce decent feedback on errors of various sorts?
This is clearly much easier when the compiler is written in or compiles to JavaScript.
What am I going to do?
When I started writing this post, I had thought that I would decide to just use JavaScript directly.
However, for now at least, I am going to try to use TypeScript. I have a lot to learn, but I think TypeScript comes pretty close to meeting my requirements and the type system and community adoption are both pretty nice things.
Notes about things that Bruce is interested in or working on.