Microsoft has unveiled a developer preview for TypeScript, a new alternative to JavaScript. TypeSript compiles to JavaScript and uses similar syntax, but it adds features like optional static typing, class declarations, support for modules and a Visual Studio plugin. It’s much like to Google’s Dart, but resembles JavaScript more closely than Dart does. According to Microsoft programming language expert Anders Hejlsberg, the new language should make it easier to develop large applications.
The TypeScript language and compiler are available under the open source Apache 2.0 license.