TypeScript Interfaces vs Classes: When to Use Each One

Introduction

If you’re a TypeScript developer, you’ve probably used both of these language constructs at some point. But have you ever stopped to think about the differences between them and when to use each one?

That’s what we’re going to explore in this post. We’ll define TypeScript interfaces and classes, explain their purpose and key differences, and provide some guidance on when to use each one in your code.

But first, let’s start with a brief overview of what interfaces and classes are in TypeScript.

TypeScript interfaces are a way to specify the shape of an object. They allow you to define a set of properties and methods that an object should have, without specifying how those properties and methods are implemented. Interfaces are a powerful tool for strong typing and code reuse, as they enable you to define contracts that other parts of your code can depend on.

Here’s an example of a simple interface in TypeScript:

interface Person {
  name: string;
  age: number;
  greet(): string;
}

In this interface, we define a Person object with three properties: name, age, and greet. The name and age properties are of type string and number, respectively, and the greet method returns a string.