How to Set Up a Node.js Project with Parcel and TypeScript

If you're looking to streamline your Node.js development process, Parcel and TypeScript are a great combination to ensure fast bundling and strong type-checking. This guide will walk you through setting up a Node.js project using Parcel as the bundler and TypeScript for type safety.

Step 1: Initialize Your Node.js Project

Start by creating a new directory for your project.

Initialize npm:

Run the following command to initialize a new Node.js project:

This will create a package.json file in your project directory.

Step 2: Install Parcel Bundler

Parcel is an easy-to-use bundler that requires minimal configuration.

Install Parcel:

To install Parcel as a development dependency, run:

Step 3: Set Up TypeScript

TypeScript adds static types to JavaScript, helping you catch errors early in development.

1. Install TypeScript and Node.js Type Definitions:

Run the following command to install TypeScript along with the Node.js type definitions:

2. Initialize TypeScript Configuration:

Create a tsconfig.json file by running:

3. Configure tsconfig.json:

Modify your tsconfig.json to include the following settings:

1 {
2   "compilerOptions": {
3     "target": "es6",
4     "module": "commonjs",
5     "strict": true,
6     "esModuleInterop": true
7   },
8   "include": ["src/**/*"]
9 }

Step 4: Create the Source Files

1. Create a src Directory:

Inside your project root, create a src folder where your TypeScript files will reside:

2. Add Your First TypeScript File:

Inside the src directory, create an index.ts file with some starter code:

Step 5: Configure Parcel for TypeScript

Parcel works out-of-the-box with TypeScript, but you need to define an entry point in your package.json.

1. Add Scripts to package.json:

Update the package.json file to include the following script:

1 "scripts": {
2   "dev": "parcel src/index.html",
3   "build": "parcel build src/index.html"
4 }

If you're not using an HTML file, use parcel src/index.ts as the entry point.

Step 6: Run the Development Server

Start the Development Server:

Run Parcel’s development server with hot-reloading enabled:

Build for Production:

When you’re ready to bundle your code for production, run:

Conclusion

With Parcel and TypeScript set up, your Node.js project is ready for development. Parcel’s minimal configuration and TypeScript's type safety will make your development process faster and more efficient.