TypeScript Development Workflow

TypeScript Development Workflow

This project now uses TypeScript for better type safety and development experience.

Setup

  1. Install Node.js (if not already installed)
  2. Install dependencies 
    npm install

Development Workflow

Option 1: Manual Compilation

# Compile TypeScript once
npm run build

# Compile TypeScript and watch for changes
npm run watch

# On Windows
./build.bat

# On macOS/Linux
./build.sh

File Structure

├── src/ts/                          # TypeScript source files
│   └── svg-nearest-point-demos.ts   # Main demo TypeScript file
├── assets/js/                       # Compiled JavaScript output
│   └── svg-nearest-point-demos.js   # Generated from TypeScript
├── tsconfig.json                    # TypeScript configuration
├── package.json                     # Node.js dependencies
└── _posts/                          # Jekyll blog posts

TypeScript Benefits

  • Type Safety: Catch errors at compile time
  • Better IDE Support: Enhanced autocomplete and refactoring
  • Modern Features: Latest JavaScript features with backwards compatibility
  • Interfaces: Clear contracts for data structures
  • Better Documentation: Types serve as inline documentation

Development Process

  1. Edit TypeScript: Make changes to files in src/ts/
  2. Compile: Run npm run build or npm run watch
  3. Test: View your changes in the Jekyll site
  4. Deploy: The compiled JavaScript is what gets deployed

Key TypeScript Features Used

  • Interfaces: Point, Bounds, SearchResult, etc.
  • Generic Types: Type-safe collections and functions
  • Access Modifiers: private, public for encapsulation
  • Type Assertions: Safe casting for DOM elements
  • Strict Null Checks: Prevent null/undefined errors

SVG Type Support

The project includes proper typing for SVG elements:

  • SVGPathElement for path manipulation
  • SVGCircleElement for nearest point indicators
  • SVGGElement for grouping elements
  • DOM type assertions for safe element access

Performance Benefits

TypeScript compilation can help with:

  • Dead code elimination
  • Better minification
  • Compile-time optimizations
  • Runtime error prevention