Running TypeScript with ts-node

Introduction

ts-node lets you run TypeScript code directly without first turning it into JavaScript. This saves time and makes testing easier.

You want to quickly try out TypeScript code without setting up a build step.

You are writing small scripts or tools in TypeScript.

You want to run TypeScript files during development to see results fast.

You want to debug TypeScript code without compiling it first.

You want to run TypeScript code in a Node.js environment directly.

Syntax

Typescript

ts-node [options] <file.ts>

You run ts-node from the command line followed by the TypeScript file name.

Make sure you have ts-node installed globally or in your project.

Examples

Runs the TypeScript file named script.ts directly.

Typescript

ts-node script.ts

Runs script.ts faster by skipping type checks.

Typescript

ts-node --transpile-only script.ts

Runs script.ts using settings from a specific tsconfig.json file.

Typescript

ts-node --project tsconfig.json script.ts

Sample Program

This simple program prints a message to the console. You can run it with ts-node to see the output immediately.

Typescript

console.log('Hello from TypeScript!');

Important Notes

Install ts-node using npm install -g ts-node or npm install --save-dev ts-node.

ts-node uses your tsconfig.json file if present to understand TypeScript settings.

For faster runs during development, use the --transpile-only option to skip type checking.

Summary

ts-node runs TypeScript files directly without compiling first.

It is useful for quick testing, scripting, and development.

Use command line options to customize how ts-node runs your code.