ts-babel

6.1.7 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript maintenance

ts-babel (v6.1.7) transforms the output of the TypeScript compiler using Babel for fine-grained control over target environments. It acts as a bridge between TypeScript's compilation and Babel's polyfill and syntax transformation capabilities, allowing projects to use TypeScript for type checking and modern syntax while leveraging Babel for cross-browser compatibility. Key differentiator: avoids duplicate parsing by feeding TypeScript's emit directly into Babel, preserving source maps. Maintenance status unknown (last release likely older). Requires TypeScript ^3.5.2 as a peer dependency and Node >=8.10.0.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'typescript' ↓

cause Missing peer dependency TypeScript, or not installed in the project.

fix

npm install typescript@^3.5.2

error TypeError: tsBabel is not a function ↓

cause Using require('ts-babel') without .default due to CommonJS module system.

fix

Use require('ts-babel').default or import tsBabel from 'ts-babel'.

error Error: Cannot find module '@babel/core' ↓

cause Missing @babel/core which is a runtime dependency of ts-babel.

fix

npm install @babel/core

Warnings

breaking Peer dependency TypeScript ^3.5.2 may cause issues with newer TypeScript versions (4.x+). ↓

fix Use a version of ts-babel that supports TypeScript >=4.0 or switch to a different tool (e.g., @babel/preset-typescript).

deprecated ts-babel is not actively maintained; consider using @babel/preset-typescript with Babel directly. ↓

fix Migrate to @babel/preset-typescript and drop ts-babel dependency.

gotcha When using CommonJS, the default export is not available via require directly; must use .default. ↓

fix Use require('ts-babel').default or enable esModuleInterop in tsconfig.

gotcha The transform function returns a promise; forgetting to await or handle errors may lead to silent failures. ↓

fix Always use .then() or await when calling tsBabel() or transform().

Install

npm install ts-babel

yarn add ts-babel

pnpm add ts-babel

Imports

tsBabel
wrong
```
const tsBabel = require('ts-babel').default
```
correct
```
import tsBabel from 'ts-babel'
```
Default export is a function. In CommonJS, use require('ts-babel').default or set esModuleInterop.
transform
wrong
```
const { transform } = require('ts-babel')
```
correct
```
import { transform } from 'ts-babel'
```
Named export is available but less commonly used; default export is recommended for single-file compilation.
TransformOptions
wrong
```
import { TransformOptions } from 'ts-babel'
```
correct
```
import type { TransformOptions } from 'ts-babel'
```
TypeScript type export, use import type for type-only imports to avoid runtime errors.

Quickstart

This shows how to compile a TypeScript file with ts-babel: takes TS code, compiles with TypeScript, then transforms with Babel preset-env for browser compatibility.

import tsBabel from 'ts-babel';
import * as fs from 'fs';

const code = fs.readFileSync('example.ts', 'utf8');
tsBabel({
  code,
  filename: 'example.ts',
  typescript: true,
  babel: {
    presets: [
      ['@babel/preset-env', { targets: '> 0.25%, not dead' }]
    ]
  }
}).then(result => {
  console.log(result.code);
}).catch(err => {
  console.error(err);
});