TypeScript RC Released, New npm Alternative, The Future of JavaScript Frameworks and more

Welcome to another edition of This Week In JavaScript!

Today, we’re diving into TypeScript’s latest release candidate, a thought-provoking discussion about the future of frameworks in the AI era, and some must-know tools to boost your dev game. 

Let’s jump right in!

Typescript 5.7 RC Lands

You can now install TypeScript 5.7 Release Candidate with:

npm install -D typescript@rc

Here’s what’s new:

Smarter Bug Detection: New checks catch never-initialized variables, even in deeply nested functions.

No-Build Convenience: For ts-node and Deno users, the --rewriteRelativeImportExtensions option automatically converts .ts imports to .js, allowing developers to run TypeScript code seamlessly across multiple environments like Node.js and Deno.

ECMAScript 2024: Full support for Object.groupBy and Promise.withResolvers, helping you leverage the latest ECMAScript features.

The Vlt Package Manager and Serverless Registry

Isaac Schlueter, the creator of npm, is back with something new—vlt and the Serverless Registry (vsr).

vlt Package Manager: A faster, sleeker alternative to npm with features like improved performance and dependency query syntax.

Serverless Registry: Compatible with npm, this scalable, private registry gives you full control over your package distribution.

These tools could significantly streamline how developers manage JavaScript packages by offering faster performance and more control over private package distribution.

Component Party

If you’re a front-end dev working across multiple frameworks, Component Party is your new best friend. It’s a tool that compares how common tasks are performed across different libraries like React, Vue, Svelte, and Angular.

With its latest additions—support for Svelte 5 **and **Angular 17—it’s more up-to-date than ever. It offers a side-by-side comparison of how common tasks—like rendering a component or managing state—are handled across libraries like React, Vue, and Svelte. This makes it easier to learn or switch frameworks without wasting time hunting through documentation.

The AI Framework Debate

With tools like Replit, Cursor, v0 and more that generate functional code almost instantly, a new debate is brewing: Will frameworks still matter in the future?

Speed vs. Structure: AI-generated code might reduce the reliance on traditional frameworks for certain projects, but frameworks will likely remain essential for larger, complex applications. The real question is how frameworks will evolve alongside these AI tools.

Future Impact: As AI advances, we might see a shift in how software is built—frameworks could evolve or become less relevant. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on!

Tools & Releases YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

Here are some key tools and releases that deserve a spot on your radar this week:

Parcel 2.13.0: This update includes faster resolver caching (which speeds up builds by improving how dependencies are resolved) and adds glob support in package.json, allowing you to match patterns for files more easily.

Lexical 0.20: Lexical is an extensible text editor framework from Meta, focused on speed, accessibility, and cross-platform compatibility. It even has a Swift variant for iOS, making it a must-try if you’re building text-heavy apps.

@clerk/nextjs v6: Clerk’s latest release supports Next.js 15 with async auth(), static rendering by default, and partial pre-rendering. It’s backward-compatible with Next.js 14, making it a seamless upgrade for any dev team.

Storybook 8.4: Frontend devs, this is one to check out! Storybook 8.4 now features one-click component testing right in your browser, full support for Svelte 5, and React Native Storybook updates. Plus, the bundle size is now 50% smaller, making it faster and leaner.

Jsep: Looking to parse expressions in JavaScript? jsep is a lightweight library that converts expressions like x * (1 2) into an AST. It’s flexible, lightweight, and supports custom operators, making it perfect for both client and server-side projects.

Expo SDK 52: React Native developers, this one's for you! Expo SDK 52 brings React Native 0.76 with a 38% performance boost thanks to its new architecture. This release also includes new libraries, bug fixes, and ecosystem improvements. Upgrade now with:npx expo install expo@^52.0.0 --fix

And that's it for the ninth issue of "This Week in JavaScript"! Thanks for tuning in!

Feel free to share this newsletter with a fellow developer, and make sure you're subscribed to get notified about the next issue.

Until next time, happy coding!

References

TypeScript 5.7 Release Candidate

vlt

Component Party

The AI Framework Debate

Parcel 2.13.0

Lexical 0.20

clerk/nextjs v6

Storybook 8.4

Jsep

Expo SDK 52
 

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