Setting up Visual Studio Code or Atom to use typescript@next

typescript@next allows you to use features that will be available in the next TypeScript release.

# Benefits

In my case, I wanted to play with a few TypeScript 2.0 features before it got released, like:

• The --strictNullChecks flag (allowing finer control over undefined / nullable properties: myProperty: string | null | undefined).
• The new way to install community types definitions npm install --save @types/lodash.

# Setup Visual Studio Code and Atom to use typescript@next

• Install typescript@next:
  • npm install -g typescript@next
  • Note: you can also install it locally to your project.
• Figure out your typescript installation path:
  • On Linux it should be: echo `npm root -g`/typescript/
  • In my case it's /home/usename/Applications/nodejs/lib/node_modules/typescript/
• [Visual Studio Code] Use typescript@next:
  • Open your configuration file:
    • File -> Preferences -> Workspace Settings
    • Note: This will only use typescript@next for your current Visual Studio Code workspace, you can select User Settings instead if you want to make the change global.
  • Add this line to your configuration file (on the right pane):
    • "typescript.tsdk": "[YOUR TYPESCRIPT INSTALLATION PATH]/lib"
    • Note: Replace [YOUR TYPESCRIPT INSTALLATION PATH] with your typescript installation path ;) Don't forget the "/lib" part at the end!
    • Note 2: Visual Studio Code also accepts relative paths (example: ./node_modules/typescript/lib)
  • Restart Visual Studio Code
• [Atom Editor] Use typescript@next:
  • Install the atom-typescript package.
  • Go to the Settings for the atom-typescript package.
  • Edit Full path (including file name) to a custom typescriptServices.js with:
    • [YOUR TYPESCRIPT INSTALLATION PATH]/lib/typescriptServices.js
    • Note: Replace [YOUR TYPESCRIPT INSTALLATION PATH] with your typescript installation path ;) Don't forget the "/lib/typescriptServices.js" part at the end!
  • Restart Atom Editor
• Extra - [ts-loader and webpack] - Use typescript@next:
  • If you use ts-loader to compile your .ts files, just run npm link typescript so it can use your globally installed version of typescript.

You're done :)