Setting Up a TypeScript/Vite Project

Tutorial 2 of 5

1. Introduction

This tutorial aims to help you set up a TypeScript/Vite project from scratch. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a functional project base using TypeScript and Vite. You will learn how to initialize a new project, enable TypeScript, and configure Vite for TypeScript.

Prerequisites:
- Basic knowledge of TypeScript and JavaScript
- Node.js and npm installed on your machine

2. Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Initialize a New Project

    Start by creating a new directory for your project. Open your terminal, navigate to the location where you want to create the directory, and run:

    bash mkdir my-vite-project && cd my-vite-project

  2. Install Vite

    Next, we'll install Vite. Vite is a build tool that provides a faster and leaner development experience for modern web projects. It's easy to set up and has first-class TypeScript support.

    Install Vite globally on your machine by running:

    bash npm install -g create-vite

  3. Create a New Vite Project

    Now, let's create a new Vite project. Since we want to use TypeScript, we're going to create a Vite project with a TypeScript template.

    Run the following command:

    bash create-vite my-vite-project --template ts

  4. Install Dependencies

    Navigate into your new project directory and install the dependencies:

    bash cd my-vite-project npm install

  5. Run the Project

    Start the development server:

    bash npm run dev

    Open your browser and go to http://localhost:5000. You should see your Vite app running.

3. Code Examples

Let's explore the main.ts file which is the entry point of our application.

import { createApp } from 'vue'
import App from './App.vue'

// Create a new Vue app instance and mount it to the #app div
createApp(App).mount('#app')

This file imports the createApp function from Vue and the App component from the App.vue file. It then creates a new Vue app with the App component and mounts it to the #app div in our index.html file.

4. Summary

We've covered initializing a new project, installing Vite, creating a new Vite project with a TypeScript template, installing dependencies, and running the project. Next, you might want to learn more about TypeScript and Vite, or start building your own components and adding features to your project.

Additional resources:
- Vite Documentation
- TypeScript Documentation

5. Practice Exercises

  1. Exercise 1: Create a new Vite project with a different template (React, Preact, Lit-element, etc.). Run the project and understand the differences compared to the TypeScript template.

  2. Exercise 2: Add a new Vue component to the project. Make sure to use TypeScript in your component.

  3. Exercise 3: Try to configure the vite.config.ts file. For example, change the port the development server runs on, or try to add a plugin.

Solution and explanations:

  1. The process is the same as described above, just replace --template ts with the template you want to use, like --template react. Different templates come with different configurations and files, so make sure to explore the project directory.

  2. Create a new .vue file in the src directory, for example MyComponent.vue. Write your component using Vue and TypeScript. Don't forget to import and use your component in App.vue or main.ts.

  3. The vite.config.ts file exports a Vite configuration object. You can add or modify properties of this object to change the configuration. For example, to change the port, you can add server: { port: 3000 } to the configuration object. To add a plugin, first install it (npm install my-plugin), then add it to the plugins array in the configuration object.

Remember, practice is the key to mastering any new technology. Happy coding!