Use TypeScript in ASP.NET MVC

Question

How to effectively use TypeScript with ASP.NET MVC?

I want my IDE to do the following actions when I run my project:

1. Compile (interpret) my typescript files (*.ts) by typescript compiler.
2. Minimize all the javascript files.
3. Obviously run my app :).

How to configure IDE to do all the steps automatically on startup?

Answer 1

At this address, you will find that the current preview version of TypeScript is not providing a project template for ASP.NET MVC 4 projects. But you can edit your csproject file with the following code:

<ItemGroup>

    <TypeScriptCompile Include="$(ProjectDir)\**\*.ts" />

</ItemGroup>

  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">

   <Exec Command="&amp;quot;$(PROGRAMFILES)\

   Microsoft SDKs\TypeScript\0.8.0.0\tsc&amp;quot; 

  @(TypeScriptCompile ->'&quot;%(fullpath)&quot;', ' ')" />

  </Target>

It allows you to compile all TypeScript when building ASP.NET MVC 4 project.

About the optimizing :

I suggest you separate the JavaScript files of your project and add references them into your master page like at this post : How can I automatically compress and minimize JavaScript files in an ASP.NET MVC app?.

You can also use the "bundling" with the Razor view. Personally I use that and it works perfectly.