Why TypeScript had to be open source

By GitHub

Categories: Product, Tools

Summary

TypeScript had to be open source to engage with the JavaScript community, where a closed-source commercial product would have been ignored. The team fought an 'uphill battle' at Microsoft to make TypeScript open source, leading to its eventual move to GitHub in 2014.

Key Takeaways

1. The JavaScript ecosystem requires open-source engagement, as a closed-source commercial product would be ignored by developers.
2. Microsoft initially had internal resistance to making TypeScript open source, with 'a lot of voices' against it and 'hand wringing' before the decision was made.
3. The TypeScript team 'fought hard' to build it as an open-source project, overcoming the internal resistance at Microsoft.
4. Microsoft recognized that embracing open source was necessary to have meaningful conversations with developers, a shift from earlier perceptions.
5. TypeScript moved to GitHub in 2014, marking a significant milestone in its open-source journey and community engagement.
6. The TypeScript team had to navigate an 'uphill battle' and 'pay some tolls' to make the project open source within Microsoft.

Topics

• Open Source Adoption
• Developer Community Engagement
• Microsoft Open Source Transformation
• TypeScript Project History
• GitHub Migration

Transcript Excerpt

I'd say we had a pretty good understanding of how that JavaScript ecosystem functioned and what the ethos was and what it required to actually engage with that community. And it was clear to all of us like abundantly clear that that you had to be open source or else people weren't I mean there was there was no way that a closed source commercial product would appeal to that crowd. They would just ignore it. So we advocated for that from the beginning. And I think there was a growing understandin...