Microsoft unveils TypeScript 5.8 with enhanced Node.js module and syntax features

Microsoft has launched TypeScript 5.8, available through NuGet or by running npm install -D typescript. The language is deeply integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, enabling features like auto-completion, code navigation, and refactorings.

Among the key updates are granular checks for branches in return expressions, support for require() of ECMAScript Modules in --module nodenext, and the new --module node18 for better Node.js module support. Other enhancements include the --erasableSyntaxOnly option for stripping TypeScript-specific syntax while retaining JavaScript semantics, the --libReplacement flag for more flexible library configuration, and improved readability and maintainability with preserved computed property names in declaration files.

Microsoft is already working on TypeScript 5.9, with nightly builds available for developers to test, although these may contain bugs.