@babel/plugin-transform-classes

What is @babel/plugin-transform-classes?

The @babel/plugin-transform-classes package is a plugin for Babel that transforms ES2015+ class syntax into equivalent ES5 code. This is useful for ensuring compatibility with environments that do not support the latest JavaScript features.

What are @babel/plugin-transform-classes's main functionalities?

Class transformation

Transforms ES2015+ class syntax into equivalent ES5 constructor functions with prototype methods.

{"class MyClass { constructor(name) { this.name = name; } greet() { return 'Hello, ' + this.name; } } }

Super calls

Handles 'super' calls and transforms them into appropriate ES5 code that calls the parent class constructor or methods.

{"class ChildClass extends ParentClass { constructor(name) { super(name); } } }

Static methods

Transforms static methods in classes to static methods on the constructor function in ES5.

{"class MyClass { static myStaticMethod() { return 'I am static'; } } }

Instance properties

Transforms class instance properties into assignments within the constructor function.

{"class MyClass { myProperty = 'default value'; } }

Other packages similar to @babel/plugin-transform-classes

@babel/plugin-transform-arrow-functions

Transforms ES2015+ arrow functions into equivalent ES5 function expressions. Similar in that it provides transformation of modern JavaScript features to ES5, but focuses on arrow functions instead of classes.

@babel/plugin-transform-destructuring

Transforms ES2015+ destructuring assignments and parameters into equivalent ES5 code. Similar in that it provides transformation of modern JavaScript syntax to ES5, but focuses on destructuring rather than class syntax.

@babel/plugin-transform-spread

Transforms ES2015+ spread syntax for arrays and function calls into equivalent ES5 code. Similar in that it provides transformation of modern JavaScript features to ES5, but focuses on spread syntax instead of class syntax.

README

@babel/plugin-transform-classes

Compile ES2015 classes to ES5

See our website @babel/plugin-transform-classes for more information.

Install

Using npm:

npm install --save-dev @babel/plugin-transform-classes

or using yarn:

yarn add @babel/plugin-transform-classes --dev

Changelog

v7.28.0 (2025-07-02)

:rocket: New Feature

• babel-node
  • #17147 Support top level await in node repl (@liuxingbaoyu)
• babel-types
  • #17258 feat(matchesPattern): support super/private/meta (@JLHwung)
• babel-compat-data, babel-preset-env
  • #17355 Add explicit resource management to preset-env (@JLHwung)
• babel-core, babel-parser
  • #17390 Support sourceType: "commonjs" (@JLHwung)
• babel-generator, babel-parser
  • #17346 Materialize explicitResourceManagement parser plugin (@JLHwung)
• babel-plugin-proposal-destructuring-private, babel-plugin-proposal-do-expressions, babel-plugin-transform-object-rest-spread, babel-traverse, babel-types
  • #17391 LVal coverage updates (Part 2) (@JLHwung)
• babel-parser, babel-traverse, babel-types
  • #17378 Accept bigints in t.bigIntLiteral factory (@JLHwung)
• babel-generator, babel-plugin-proposal-destructuring-private, babel-plugin-proposal-discard-binding, babel-plugin-transform-destructuring, babel-plugin-transform-explicit-resource-management, babel-plugin-transform-react-display-name, babel-types
  • #17277 Transform discard binding (@JLHwung)
• babel-generator, babel-parser, babel-plugin-proposal-destructuring-private, babel-plugin-transform-block-scoping, babel-plugin-transform-object-rest-spread, babel-plugin-transform-typescript, babel-traverse, babel-types
  • #17163 Parse discard binding (@JLHwung)

:bug: Bug Fix

• babel-helper-globals, babel-plugin-transform-classes, babel-traverse
  • #17297 Create babel-helper-globals (@JLHwung)
• babel-types
  • #17009 feature: TSTypeOperator: keyof (#16799) (@coderaiser)

:house: Internal

• babel-compat-data, babel-plugin-proposal-decorators, babel-plugin-transform-async-generator-functions, babel-plugin-transform-json-modules, babel-plugin-transform-regenerator, babel-plugin-transform-runtime, babel-preset-env, babel-runtime-corejs3
  • #17403 Update babel-polyfill packages (@nicolo-ribaudo)