babel

What is babel?

Babel is a JavaScript compiler that allows you to use next-generation JavaScript, today. It transforms your JavaScript code into a version that is compatible with older environments, ensuring that your code runs smoothly across different browsers and platforms.

What are babel's main functionalities?

Transpiling ES6+ to ES5

This feature allows you to convert modern JavaScript (ES6+) into ES5, which is compatible with older browsers. The code sample demonstrates how to use Babel to transform an arrow function into ES5 syntax.

const babel = require('@babel/core');
const code = 'const x = n => n + 1';
babel.transform(code, { presets: ['@babel/preset-env'] }, function(err, result) {
  console.log(result.code);
});

Using Plugins

Babel supports a wide range of plugins that can transform specific syntax or features. The code sample shows how to use the class transform plugin to convert ES6 classes into ES5 functions.

const babel = require('@babel/core');
const code = 'class Example {}';
babel.transform(code, { plugins: ['@babel/plugin-transform-classes'] }, function(err, result) {
  console.log(result.code);
});

Polyfilling

Babel can also include polyfills for new JavaScript features that are not available in older environments. The code sample demonstrates how to use Babel's polyfill to add support for the Array.prototype.includes method.

require('@babel/polyfill');
const arr = [1, 2, 3];
console.log(arr.includes(2));

Other packages similar to babel

typescript

TypeScript is a typed superset of JavaScript that compiles to plain JavaScript. It offers type-checking and other features that can help catch errors early in the development process. Unlike Babel, which focuses on transforming syntax, TypeScript adds static types to JavaScript.

esbuild

esbuild is an extremely fast JavaScript bundler and minifier. It supports modern JavaScript syntax and can be used as an alternative to Babel for transforming code. However, esbuild is designed to be much faster and is often used in build processes where speed is critical.

swc

swc (Speedy Web Compiler) is a super-fast JavaScript/TypeScript compiler written in Rust. It aims to be a drop-in replacement for Babel with a focus on performance. swc can handle many of the same transformations as Babel but does so much faster.

README

babel-cli

Babel CLI

For more information please look at babel.