The problem with the premise of the article is that it presupposes that a library’s interfaces will, and ultimately must, be complex. The great thing about TypeScript for library development, if you start with types, is that it strongly encourages you to create simpler and less flexible interfaces. That’s not to say you don’t sometimes need (or won’t sometimes choose) to use some of TypeScript’s more complex features. But a lot of the time you won’t, or should think seriously about whether your interfaces are becoming too complex.
Much of the complexity of TypeScript’s type system is a direct result of excessively dynamic interfaces in existing, untyped JavaScript. Starting with types is a good way to catch that early, rethink the interface, and either isolate it or avoid it entirely.
Much of the complexity of TypeScript’s type system is a direct result of excessively dynamic interfaces in existing, untyped JavaScript. Starting with types is a good way to catch that early, rethink the interface, and either isolate it or avoid it entirely.