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buildlogmmd
buildlogmmd

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Use tsx for development

✅ Commit 

chore: use tsx for development
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🛠️ Command 

npm install --save-dev tsx
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📄 package.json (scripts) 

"scripts": {
  "dev": "tsx watch src/server.ts"
}
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▶️ Run the server 

npm run dev
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Why we use tsx instead of ts-node or ts-node-dev

  • ts-node runs TypeScript without compiling but has no reload.
  • ts-node-dev adds auto-reload but doesn't work well with import/export and ESM.
  • tsx is fast, needs no config, and supports import, await, and "type": "module" out of the box.

We use tsx because it's simple, modern, and fully compatible with the current JavaScript module standard (ESM).

What is ESM?

ESM = ECMAScript Modules

It is the modern way to import and export code in JavaScript and TypeScript.

Key features:

  • Uses import / export
  • Requires "type": "module" in package.json
  • Allows await at the top level (no need for async functions)
  • Works in both Node.js and browsers

Example (ESM) 

import express from "express";

export default app;
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ESM is now the standard. tsx supports it without extra setup.

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