tsc CLI Options #

Using the CLI #

Running tsc locally will compile the closest project defined by a tsconfig.json, or you can compile a set of TypeScript files by passing in a glob of files you want. When input files are specified on the command line, tsconfig.json files are ignored.

# Run a compile based on a backwards look through the fs for a tsconfig.json
tsc

# Emit JS for just the index.ts with the compiler defaults
tsc index.ts

# Emit JS for any .ts files in the folder src, with the default settings
tsc src/*.ts

# Emit files referenced in with the compiler settings from tsconfig.production.json
tsc --project tsconfig.production.json

# Emit d.ts files for a js file with showing compiler options which are booleans
tsc index.js --declaration --emitDeclarationOnly

# Emit a single .js file from two files via compiler options which take string arguments
tsc app.ts util.ts --target esnext --outfile index.js

Compiler Options #

If you’re looking for more information about the compiler options in a tsconfig, check out the TSConfig Reference

CLI Commands #

Flag Type

--all boolean
Show all compiler options.
--generateTrace string
Generates an event trace and a list of types.
--help boolean
Gives local information for help on the CLI.
--init boolean
Initializes a TypeScript project and creates a tsconfig.json file.
--listFilesOnly boolean
Print names of files that are part of the compilation and then stop processing.
--locale string
Set the language of the messaging from TypeScript. This does not affect emit.
--project string
Compile the project given the path to its configuration file, or to a folder with a 'tsconfig.json'.
--showConfig boolean
Print the final configuration instead of building.
--version boolean
Print the compiler's version.

Build Options #

Flag Type

--build boolean
Build one or more projects and their dependencies, if out of date
--clean boolean
Delete the outputs of all projects.
--dry boolean
Show what would be built (or deleted, if specified with '--clean')
--force boolean
Build all projects, including those that appear to be up to date.
--verbose boolean
Enable verbose logging.

Watch Options #

Flag Type

--excludeDirectories list
Remove a list of directories from the watch process.
--excludeFiles list
Remove a list of files from the watch mode's processing.
--fallbackPolling fixedinterval, priorityinterval, dynamicpriority, or fixedchunksize
Specify what approach the watcher should use if the system runs out of native file watchers.
--synchronousWatchDirectory boolean
Synchronously call callbacks and update the state of directory watchers on platforms that don`t support recursive watching natively.
--watch boolean
Watch input files.
--watchDirectory usefsevents, fixedpollinginterval, dynamicprioritypolling, or fixedchunksizepolling
Specify how directories are watched on systems that lack recursive file-watching functionality.
--watchFile fixedpollinginterval, prioritypollinginterval, dynamicprioritypolling, fixedchunksizepolling, usefsevents, or usefseventsonparentdirectory
Specify how the TypeScript watch mode works.

Compiler Flags #

Flag Type Default

--allowArbitraryExtensions boolean false Enable importing files with any extension, provided a declaration file is present.
--allowImportingTsExtensions boolean false Allow imports to include TypeScript file extensions.
--allowJs boolean false Allow JavaScript files to be a part of your program. Use the checkJS option to get errors from these files.
--allowSyntheticDefaultImports boolean true if esModuleInterop is enabled, module is system, or moduleResolution is bundler, false otherwise. Allow 'import x from y' when a module doesn't have a default export.
--allowUmdGlobalAccess boolean false Allow accessing UMD globals from modules.
--allowUnreachableCode boolean
Disable error reporting for unreachable code.
--allowUnusedLabels boolean
Disable error reporting for unused labels.
--alwaysStrict boolean true if strict, false otherwise. Ensure 'use strict' is always emitted.
--assumeChangesOnlyAffectDirectDependencies boolean false Have recompiles in projects that use incremental and watch mode assume that changes within a file will only affect files directly depending on it.
--baseUrl string
Specify the base directory to resolve non-relative module names.
--charset string utf8 No longer supported. In early versions, manually set the text encoding for reading files.
--checkJs boolean false Enable error reporting in type-checked JavaScript files.
--composite boolean false Enable constraints that allow a TypeScript project to be used with project references.
--customConditions list
Conditions to set in addition to the resolver-specific defaults when resolving imports.
--declaration boolean true if composite, false otherwise. Generate .d.ts files from TypeScript and JavaScript files in your project.
--declarationDir string
Specify the output directory for generated declaration files.
--declarationMap boolean false Create sourcemaps for d.ts files.
--diagnostics boolean false Output compiler performance information after building.
--disableReferencedProjectLoad boolean false Reduce the number of projects loaded automatically by TypeScript.
--disableSizeLimit boolean false Remove the 20mb cap on total source code size for JavaScript files in the TypeScript language server.
--disableSolutionSearching boolean false Opt a project out of multi-project reference checking when editing.
--disableSourceOfProjectReferenceRedirect boolean false Disable preferring source files instead of declaration files when referencing composite projects.
--downlevelIteration boolean false Emit more compliant, but verbose and less performant JavaScript for iteration.
--emitBOM boolean false Emit a UTF-8 Byte Order Mark (BOM) in the beginning of output files.
--emitDeclarationOnly boolean false Only output d.ts files and not JavaScript files.
--emitDecoratorMetadata boolean false Emit design-type metadata for decorated declarations in source files.
--esModuleInterop boolean true if module is node16 or nodenext, false otherwise. Emit additional JavaScript to ease support for importing CommonJS modules. This enables allowSyntheticDefaultImports for type compatibility.
--exactOptionalPropertyTypes boolean false Interpret optional property types as written, rather than adding undefined.
--experimentalDecorators boolean false Enable experimental support for TC39 stage 2 draft decorators.
--explainFiles boolean false Print files read during the compilation including why it was included.
--extendedDiagnostics boolean false Output more detailed compiler performance information after building.
--forceConsistentCasingInFileNames boolean true Ensure that casing is correct in imports.
--generateCpuProfile string profile.cpuprofile Emit a v8 CPU profile of the compiler run for debugging.
--importHelpers boolean false Allow importing helper functions from tslib once per project, instead of including them per-file.
--importsNotUsedAsValues remove, preserve, or error remove Specify emit/checking behavior for imports that are only used for types.
--incremental boolean true if composite, false otherwise. Save .tsbuildinfo files to allow for incremental compilation of projects.
--inlineSourceMap boolean false Include sourcemap files inside the emitted JavaScript.
--inlineSources boolean false Include source code in the sourcemaps inside the emitted JavaScript.
--isolatedModules boolean false Ensure that each file can be safely transpiled without relying on other imports.
--jsx preserve, react, react-native, react-jsx, or react-jsxdev
Specify what JSX code is generated.
--jsxFactory string React.createElement Specify the JSX factory function used when targeting React JSX emit, e.g. 'React.createElement' or 'h'.
--jsxFragmentFactory string React.Fragment Specify the JSX Fragment reference used for fragments when targeting React JSX emit e.g. 'React.Fragment' or 'Fragment'.
--jsxImportSource string react Specify module specifier used to import the JSX factory functions when using jsx: react-jsx*.
--keyofStringsOnly boolean false Make keyof only return strings instead of string, numbers or symbols. Legacy option.
--lib list
Specify a set of bundled library declaration files that describe the target runtime environment.
--listEmittedFiles boolean false Print the names of emitted files after a compilation.
--listFiles boolean false Print all of the files read during the compilation.
--mapRoot string
Specify the location where debugger should locate map files instead of generated locations.
--maxNodeModuleJsDepth number 0 Specify the maximum folder depth used for checking JavaScript files from node_modules. Only applicable with allowJs.
--module none, commonjs, amd, umd, system, es6/es2015, es2020, es2022, esnext, node16, or nodenext CommonJS if target is ES3 or ES5, ES6/ES2015 otherwise. Specify what module code is generated.
--moduleDetection legacy, auto, or force "auto": Treat files with imports, exports, import.meta, jsx (with jsx: react-jsx), or esm format (with module: node16+) as modules. Control what method is used to detect the whether a JS file is a module.
--moduleResolution classic, node10/node, node16, nodenext, or bundler Classic if module is AMD, UMD, System or ES6/ES2015, Matches if module is node16 or nodenext, Node otherwise. Specify how TypeScript looks up a file from a given module specifier.
--moduleSuffixes list
List of file name suffixes to search when resolving a module.
--newLine crlf or lf Platform specific. Set the newline character for emitting files.
--noEmit boolean false Disable emitting files from a compilation.
--noEmitHelpers boolean false Disable generating custom helper functions like __extends in compiled output.
--noEmitOnError boolean false Disable emitting files if any type checking errors are reported.
--noErrorTruncation boolean false Disable truncating types in error messages.
--noFallthroughCasesInSwitch boolean false Enable error reporting for fallthrough cases in switch statements.
--noImplicitAny boolean true if strict, false otherwise. Enable error reporting for expressions and declarations with an implied any type.
--noImplicitOverride boolean false Ensure overriding members in derived classes are marked with an override modifier.
--noImplicitReturns boolean false Enable error reporting for codepaths that do not explicitly return in a function.
--noImplicitThis boolean true if strict, false otherwise. Enable error reporting when this is given the type any.
--noImplicitUseStrict boolean false Disable adding 'use strict' directives in emitted JavaScript files.
--noLib boolean false Disable including any library files, including the default lib.d.ts.
--noPropertyAccessFromIndexSignature boolean false Enforces using indexed accessors for keys declared using an indexed type.
--noResolve boolean false Disallow imports, requires or <reference>s from expanding the number of files TypeScript should add to a project.
--noStrictGenericChecks boolean false Disable strict checking of generic signatures in function types.
--noUncheckedIndexedAccess boolean false Add undefined to a type when accessed using an index.
--noUnusedLocals boolean false Enable error reporting when local variables aren't read.
--noUnusedParameters boolean false Raise an error when a function parameter isn't read.
--out string
Deprecated setting. Use outFile instead.
--outDir string
Specify an output folder for all emitted files.
--outFile string
Specify a file that bundles all outputs into one JavaScript file. If declaration is true, also designates a file that bundles all .d.ts output.
--paths object
Specify a set of entries that re-map imports to additional lookup locations.
--plugins list
Specify a list of language service plugins to include.
--preserveConstEnums boolean true if isolatedModules, false otherwise. Disable erasing const enum declarations in generated code.
--preserveSymlinks boolean false Disable resolving symlinks to their realpath. This correlates to the same flag in node.
--preserveValueImports boolean false Preserve unused imported values in the JavaScript output that would otherwise be removed.
--preserveWatchOutput boolean false Disable wiping the console in watch mode.
--pretty boolean true Enable color and formatting in TypeScript's output to make compiler errors easier to read.
--reactNamespace string React Specify the object invoked for createElement. This only applies when targeting react JSX emit.
--removeComments boolean false Disable emitting comments.
--resolveJsonModule boolean false Enable importing .json files.
--resolvePackageJsonExports boolean true when 'moduleResolution' is 'node16', 'nodenext', or 'bundler'; otherwise false. Use the package.json 'exports' field when resolving package imports.
--resolvePackageJsonImports boolean true when 'moduleResolution' is 'node16', 'nodenext', or 'bundler'; otherwise false. Use the package.json 'imports' field when resolving imports.
--rootDir string Computed from the list of input files. Specify the root folder within your source files.
--rootDirs list Computed from the list of input files. Allow multiple folders to be treated as one when resolving modules.
--skipDefaultLibCheck boolean false Skip type checking .d.ts files that are included with TypeScript.
--skipLibCheck boolean false Skip type checking all .d.ts files.
--sourceMap boolean false Create source map files for emitted JavaScript files.
--sourceRoot string
Specify the root path for debuggers to find the reference source code.
--strict boolean false Enable all strict type-checking options.
--strictBindCallApply boolean true if strict, false otherwise. Check that the arguments for bind, call, and apply methods match the original function.
--strictFunctionTypes boolean true if strict, false otherwise. When assigning functions, check to ensure parameters and the return values are subtype-compatible.
--strictNullChecks boolean true if strict, false otherwise. When type checking, take into account null and undefined.
--strictPropertyInitialization boolean true if strict, false otherwise. Check for class properties that are declared but not set in the constructor.
--stripInternal boolean false Disable emitting declarations that have @internal in their JSDoc comments.
--suppressExcessPropertyErrors boolean false Disable reporting of excess property errors during the creation of object literals.
--suppressImplicitAnyIndexErrors boolean false Suppress noImplicitAny errors when indexing objects that lack index signatures.
--target es3, es5, es6/es2015, es2016, es2017, es2018, es2019, es2020, es2021, es2022, or esnext ES3 Set the JavaScript language version for emitted JavaScript and include compatible library declarations.
--traceResolution boolean false Log paths used during the moduleResolution process.
--tsBuildInfoFile string .tsbuildinfo The file to store .tsbuildinfo incremental build information in.
--typeRoots list
Specify multiple folders that act like ./node_modules/@types.
--types list
Specify type package names to be included without being referenced in a source file.
--useDefineForClassFields boolean true if target is ES2022 or higher, including ESNext, false otherwise. Emit ECMAScript-standard-compliant class fields.
--useUnknownInCatchVariables boolean true if strict, false otherwise. Default catch clause variables as unknown instead of any.
--verbatimModuleSyntax boolean false Do not transform or elide any imports or exports not marked as type-only, ensuring they are written in the output file's format based on the 'module' setting.

Related #

• Every option is fully explained in the TSConfig Reference.
• Learn how to use a tsconfig.json files.
• Learn how to work in an MSBuild project.

::: _attribution © 2012-2023 Microsoft
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/compiler-options.html{._attribution-link} :::