@babel/types

What is @babel/types?

The @babel/types package is a part of the Babel compiler ecosystem. It contains methods for building and validating AST (Abstract Syntax Tree) nodes for JavaScript-like languages. It is commonly used for creating and transforming code within Babel plugins.

What are @babel/types's main functionalities?

AST Node Creation

This feature allows the creation of AST nodes. The code sample demonstrates how to create an identifier and a numeric literal using the package.

const t = require('@babel/types');
const identifier = t.identifier('myVariable');
const numericLiteral = t.numericLiteral(123);

AST Node Validation

This feature is used to validate if a node is of a specific type. The code sample checks if a node is an identifier.

const t = require('@babel/types');
const isValid = t.isIdentifier(t.identifier('myVariable'));

AST Node Transformation

This feature allows the transformation of AST nodes. The code sample creates a binary expression node that represents 'a + b'.

const t = require('@babel/types');
const binaryExpression = t.binaryExpression('+', t.identifier('a'), t.identifier('b'));

AST Node Traversal

This feature is not directly provided by @babel/types but is often used in conjunction with it. It involves traversing the AST and updating nodes. The code sample renames an identifier within the AST.

const t = require('@babel/types');
const traverse = require('@babel/traverse').default;
const ast = t.file(t.program([t.expressionStatement(t.identifier('myVariable'))]));
traverse(ast, {
  enter(path) {
    if (t.isIdentifier(path.node)) {
      path.node.name = 'newVariable';
    }
  }
});

Other packages similar to @babel/types

acorn

Acorn is a small, fast, JavaScript-based JavaScript parser. It produces an abstract syntax tree similar to the one produced by @babel/types but does not include the same utilities for building or validating nodes.

esprima

Esprima is another JavaScript parser that produces an AST. It is used for static analysis and other code transformation tasks, similar to @babel/types, but it has its own API and does not provide the same helper functions for node creation and validation.

recast

Recast is a JavaScript AST manipulation library that uses Esprima under the hood. It provides a different set of utilities for parsing, transforming, and printing code, and it preserves source formatting, which is different from @babel/types.

README

@babel/types

Babel Types is a Lodash-esque utility library for AST nodes

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

Install

Using npm:

npm install --save-dev @babel/types

or using yarn:

yarn add @babel/types --dev

Changelog

v7.20.5 (2022-11-28)

:eyeglasses: Spec Compliance

• babel-helpers, babel-plugin-transform-destructuring, babel-plugin-transform-modules-commonjs, babel-preset-env, babel-runtime-corejs2, babel-runtime-corejs3, babel-runtime, babel-traverse
  • #15183 Improve array destructuring spec compliance (@SuperSodaSea)
• babel-cli, babel-helpers, babel-plugin-proposal-class-properties, babel-plugin-proposal-class-static-block, babel-plugin-transform-classes, babel-plugin-transform-runtime, babel-preset-env
  • #15182 fix: apply toPropertyKey when defining class members (@JLHwung)
• babel-helper-create-class-features-plugin, babel-helpers, babel-plugin-proposal-decorators, babel-plugin-proposal-private-property-in-object, babel-preset-env, babel-runtime-corejs2, babel-runtime-corejs3, babel-runtime
  • #15133 fix: validate rhs of in when transpiling #p in C (@JLHwung)

:bug: Bug Fix

• babel-parser
  • #15225 Parse using[foo] as computed member expression (@JLHwung)
  • #15207 Export ParseResult type (@davydof)
  • #15198 fix: parse import module, ... (@JLHwung)
• babel-helper-wrap-function, babel-preset-env, babel-traverse
  • #15181 fix: Edge cases for async functions and noNewArrow assumption (@liuxingbaoyu)
• babel-plugin-transform-arrow-functions, babel-plugin-transform-parameters, babel-traverse
  • #15163 fix: Throw error when compiling super() in arrow functions with default / rest parameters (@SuperSodaSea)
• babel-helpers, babel-node, babel-plugin-proposal-async-generator-functions, babel-plugin-transform-regenerator, babel-preset-env, babel-runtime-corejs2, babel-runtime-corejs3, babel-runtime
  • #15194 fix: Bump regenerator and add tests (@SuperSodaSea)
• babel-helper-create-regexp-features-plugin
  • #15192 fix: Update regjsparser for @babel/standalone (@liuxingbaoyu)
• babel-parser, babel-types
  • #15109 fix: Babel 8 types (@liuxingbaoyu)
• babel-generator
  • #15143 Don't print inner comments as leading when wrapping in (``) (@nicolo-ribaudo)
• babel-plugin-transform-block-scoping, babel-traverse
  • #15167 Register switch's discriminant in the outer scope (@nicolo-ribaudo)

:nail_care: Polish

• babel-generator
  • #15173 Improve generator behavior when comments:false (@liuxingbaoyu)
• babel-plugin-transform-block-scoping
  • #15164 Only extract IDs for TDZ checks in assign when necessary (@nicolo-ribaudo)

:house: Internal

• babel-core, babel-parser
  • #15202 Bump typescript to 4.9.3 (@JLHwung)