@babel/plugin-transform-optional-chaining

What is @babel/plugin-transform-optional-chaining?

The @babel/plugin-transform-optional-chaining package is a Babel plugin that allows developers to use the optional chaining syntax in JavaScript. Optional chaining is a feature that enables developers to read the value of a property located deep within a chain of connected objects without having to check that each reference in the chain is valid. The plugin transforms optional chaining syntax into a form that can be understood by JavaScript engines that do not support this feature natively.

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

Optional Property Access

This feature allows safe access to nested object properties. If any reference is nullish (null or undefined), it returns undefined instead of throwing an error.

const obj = { a: { b: { c: 1 } } };
const value = obj?.a?.b?.c;

Optional Method Calls

This feature enables calling a method that may not exist. If the method is not available, it returns undefined instead of throwing an error.

const obj = { a: { b: { c: () => 'Hello' } } };
const greeting = obj?.a?.b?.c?.();

Optional Bracket Notation

This feature allows the use of optional chaining with bracket notation, which is useful when accessing properties with keys that are not valid identifiers.

const obj = { a: { b: { 'c': 1 } } };
const value = obj?.a?.['b']?.['c'];

Other packages similar to @babel/plugin-transform-optional-chaining

es5-dot-prop

This package provides a way to access properties of objects using dot notation, similar to optional chaining. However, it does not support the optional chaining syntax and requires manual checks for nullish values.

lodash.get

Lodash's get function allows safe access to object properties, similar to optional chaining. It's a part of the Lodash utility library and requires passing the object path as a string or array, unlike the native-like syntax that optional chaining provides.

README

@babel/plugin-transform-optional-chaining

Transform optional chaining operators into a series of nil checks

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

Install

Using npm:

npm install --save-dev @babel/plugin-transform-optional-chaining

or using yarn:

yarn add @babel/plugin-transform-optional-chaining --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)