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Babel (transcompiler)
Backwards compatible JavaScript compiler From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Babel is a free and open-source JavaScript transcompiler that is mainly used to convert ECMAScript 2015+ (ES6+) code into backwards-compatible JavaScript code that can be run by older JavaScript engines. It allows web developers to take advantage of the newest features of the language.[3]
Developers can use new JavaScript language features by using Babel to convert their source code into versions of JavaScript that a Web browser can process.[4] Babel can also be used to compile TypeScript into JavaScript.[5] The core version of Babel was downloaded 5 million times a month in 2016, and this increased to 16 million times a week in 2019.[6][7]
Babel plugins transform syntax that is not widely supported into a backward-compatible version. For example, arrow functions, which are specified in ES6, are converted into regular function declarations.[8] Non-standard JavaScript syntax such as JSX can also be transformed.[9][10]
Babel can automatically inject polyfills provided by core-js[11] for support features that are missing entirely from JavaScript environments. For example, static methods such as Array.from and built-ins such as Promise are available only in ES6 and above, but they can be used in older environments if core-js is used.
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See also
- Comparison of web browsers
- TypeScript
- Web development tools
- Webpack JavaScript bundler
- JavaScript library
References
External links
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