@babel/generator

What is @babel/generator?

The @babel/generator package is a part of the Babel toolchain that is responsible for generating code from an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST). It takes an AST as input and turns it into code with source maps, if desired. This is particularly useful when you want to transform code using Babel and then generate the transformed code.

What are @babel/generator's main functionalities?

Code Generation from AST

This feature allows you to generate code from an AST. The code sample demonstrates parsing a piece of code into an AST and then generating the code back from the AST.

const { parse } = require('@babel/parser');
const generate = require('@babel/generator').default;
const code = 'let a = 1;';
const ast = parse(code);
const output = generate(ast, {}, code);
console.log(output.code);

Source Map Support

This feature enables the generation of source maps along with the generated code. The code sample shows how to generate a source map for the code that is being generated from an AST.

const { parse } = require('@babel/parser');
const generate = require('@babel/generator').default;
const code = 'let a = 1;';
const ast = parse(code);
const output = generate(ast, { sourceMaps: true }, code);
console.log(output.map);

Other packages similar to @babel/generator

escodegen

Escodegen is an ECMAScript code generator that takes an AST and converts it back into code. It is similar to @babel/generator but does not provide the same level of integration with the Babel ecosystem.

recast

Recast is a JavaScript AST tool that allows you to parse, visit, and transform the nodes of your AST, and then regenerate JavaScript code. It preserves the original formatting as much as possible and can be used in conjunction with Babel.

astring

Astring is a tiny and fast JavaScript code generator from an ESTree-compliant AST. It is smaller and may be faster than @babel/generator but lacks the extensive plugin system and integrations that Babel offers.

README

@babel/generator

Turns an AST into code.

See our website @babel/generator for more information or the issues associated with this package.

Install

Using npm:

npm install --save-dev @babel/generator

or using yarn:

yarn add @babel/generator --dev

Changelog

v7.27.1 (2025-04-30)

:eyeglasses: Spec Compliance

• babel-parser
  • #17254 Allow using of as lexical declaration within for (@JLHwung)
  • #17230 Disallow get/set in TSPropertySignature (@JLHwung)
• babel-parser, babel-types
  • #17193 Stricter TSImportType options parsing (@JLHwung)

:bug: Bug Fix

• babel-plugin-proposal-destructuring-private, babel-plugin-proposal-do-expressions, babel-traverse
  • #17137 fix: do expressions should allow early exit (@kermanx)
• babel-helper-wrap-function, babel-plugin-transform-async-to-generator
  • #17251 Fix: propagate argument evaluation errors through async promise chain (@magic-akari)
• babel-helper-remap-async-to-generator, babel-plugin-transform-async-to-generator
  • #17231 fix apply()/call() annotated as pure (@Lacsw)
• babel-helper-fixtures, babel-parser
  • #17233 Create ChainExpression within TSInstantiationExpression (@JLHwung)
• babel-generator, babel-parser
  • #17226 Fill optional AST properties when both estree and typescript parser plugin are enabled (Part 2) (@JLHwung)
• babel-parser
  • #17224 Fill optional AST properties when both estree and typescript parser plugin are enabled (Part 1) (@JLHwung)
  • #17080 Fix start of TSParameterProperty (@JLHwung)
• babel-compat-data, babel-preset-env
  • #17228 Update firefox bugfix compat data (@JLHwung)
• babel-traverse
  • #17156 fix: Objects and arrays with multiple references should not be evaluated (@liuxingbaoyu)
• babel-generator
  • #17216 Fix: support const type parameter in generator (@JLHwung)

:nail_care: Polish

• babel-plugin-bugfix-v8-spread-parameters-in-optional-chaining, babel-plugin-proposal-decorators, babel-plugin-transform-arrow-functions, babel-plugin-transform-class-properties, babel-plugin-transform-destructuring, babel-plugin-transform-object-rest-spread, babel-plugin-transform-optional-chaining, babel-plugin-transform-parameters, babel-traverse
  • #17221 Reduce generated names size for the 10th-11th (@nicolo-ribaudo)

:house: Internal

• babel-runtime-corejs2, babel-runtime-corejs3, babel-runtime
  • #17263 Remove unused regenerator-runtime dep in @babel/runtime (@nicolo-ribaudo)
• babel-compat-data, babel-preset-env
  • #17256 Tune plugin compat data (@JLHwung)
• babel-compat-data, babel-standalone
  • #17236 migrate babel-compat-data build script to mjs (@JLHwung)
• Other
  • #17232 Bump typescript-eslint to 8.29.1 (@JLHwung)
  • #17219 test: add basic typescript-eslint integration tests (@JLHwung)
  • #17205 Inline regenerator in the relevant packages (@nicolo-ribaudo)
• babel-register
  • #16844 Migrate @babel/register to cts (@liuxingbaoyu)
• babel-cli, babel-compat-data, babel-core, babel-generator, babel-helper-compilation-targets, babel-helper-fixtures, babel-helper-module-imports, babel-helper-module-transforms, babel-helper-plugin-test-runner, babel-helper-transform-fixture-test-runner, babel-helpers, babel-node, babel-parser, babel-plugin-transform-modules-amd, babel-plugin-transform-modules-commonjs, babel-plugin-transform-modules-systemjs, babel-plugin-transform-modules-umd, babel-plugin-transform-react-display-name, babel-plugin-transform-regenerator, babel-plugin-transform-runtime, babel-plugin-transform-typeof-symbol, babel-plugin-transform-typescript, babel-preset-env, babel-register, babel-standalone, babel-types
  • #17207 Enforce node protocol import (@JLHwung)
• babel-plugin-transform-regenerator
  • #17205 Inline regenerator in the relevant packages (@nicolo-ribaudo)
  • #17205 Inline regenerator in the relevant packages (@nicolo-ribaudo)
• babel-helpers, babel-plugin-transform-async-generator-functions, babel-plugin-transform-regenerator, babel-preset-env, babel-runtime-corejs3
  • #17205 Inline regenerator in the relevant packages (@nicolo-ribaudo)
• babel-helpers, babel-plugin-transform-regenerator
  • #17205 Inline regenerator in the relevant packages (@nicolo-ribaudo)
  • #17205 Inline regenerator in the relevant packages (@nicolo-ribaudo)
• babel-helpers
  • #17205 Inline regenerator in the relevant packages (@nicolo-ribaudo)

:microscope: Output optimization

• babel-helpers, babel-plugin-transform-modules-commonjs, babel-runtime-corejs3
  • #16538 Reduce interopRequireWildcard size (@liuxingbaoyu)
• babel-helpers, babel-plugin-transform-async-generator-functions, babel-plugin-transform-regenerator, babel-preset-env, babel-runtime-corejs3
  • #17213 Reduce regeneratorRuntime size (@liuxingbaoyu)