What is Transcrypt vs. JavaScript?

Language preferences are mostly a matter of personal choice. JavaScript is the language of choice for many developers. However, for others, it is Python. They are equally correct.

Here, we will compare both on different grounds, and specifically compare JavaScript to Python with Transcrypt.

Ecosystem

  • Python is known for its “batteries included” claim. Almost any possible library has been written for Python and is available from a central location.
  • JavaScript also has virtually unlimited free high-quality libraries for web applications. JS libraries can be used from Transcrypt without restrictions or complications.

Code structure

  • Typically, there is one and only one Transcrypt application attached to a particular URL or page. The application uses its own namespace and may have multiple entry points or callbacks attached to DOM components.

  • In JavaScript, components can be requested from anywhere on the web during a page load, and small code fragments can make requests anywhere on a web page.

Coding speed

  • Roughly speaking, a 650 kB file of Python code gets translated to the same size of JavaScript file while using Transcrypt.

Compilation

  • Transcrypt code is processed in advance so pages load fast. In this regard, it is designed differently as compared to the fly compilations on browsers.

  • Transcrypt is used in coding real-world web applications that load and run as fast as their JavaScript counterparts but offer Pythonically clean, modular structure and maintainability.

Debugging

  • Transcrypt provides multi-level sourcemaps to debug a transpiled application.

Comparison

Let’s compare Python and JavaScript code.

class class_a:
    def __init__ (self, a):
        self.a = a
    def show (self, label):
        print ('show a', label, self.a)
a = class_a(1924985745)
a.show('passcode')

Here is the JavaScript code for the above Python code.

class class_a {
  constructor(a) {
    this.a = a;
  }
  show(label) {
    console.log("show a", label, this.a);
  }
}
const a = new class_a(89754234567);
a.show("passcode");

Here is the JavaScript code generated by Transcrypt.

index.js
org.transcrypt.__runtime__.js
var __name__ = "__main__";
export var class_a = __class__("class_a", [object], {
  __module__: __name__,
  get __init__() {
    return __get__(this, function (self, a) {
      self.a = a;
    });
  },
  get show() {
    return __get__(this, function (self, label) {
      print("show a", label, self.a);
    });
  },
});
export var a = class_a(1924985745);
a.show("passcode");

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