Is this right for you?
Not just stricter TypeScript. More like a dialect.
ShotScript's rules are comprehensive enough that valid code
looks nothing like typical TypeScript. No classes, no arrow
callbacks, no ternaries, no throw, no raw Promises
— not because these things are bad, but because having
one way of doing things is the whole point. Think of it
less as "stricter TypeScript" and more as a distinct style within
it: TypeScript provides the type system and toolchain, ShotScript
defines a narrower syntax on top.
Built for greenfield. ShotScript works best
when you set it up from day one — a single, non-negotiable way
to write typed JavaScript for your whole team. Retrofitting an
existing codebase is possible (the
/shotscript-migrate
command handles the heavy lifting) but it's a significant
operation, not a quick toggle.
Existing codebases
Rules like
no-class and
no-arrow-functions require architectural
rewrites, not search-and-replace.
/shotscript-migrate
handles the rewrite end-to-end — but treat it like a
major refactor: good test coverage before you start,
and expect surprises in complex call graphs.
Class-based frameworks
Angular, NestJS, and similar frameworks are built
around classes, constructors, and decorators —
constructs ShotScript bans outright. These frameworks
aren't a good fit.
Rule-by-rule opt-in
There is no config surface. The rules are
interdependent:
no-throw only makes sense
once you have PromiseResult, and
require-async-tuple-return only makes
sense once raw Promises are gone. It's all or nothing.
Why is it called ShotScript?
It started as EspressoScript.
The name has a short history — and a happy accident at the end of it.
1
The project started as EspressoScript
— the idea being an extracted, concentrated form of
TypeScript. Like an espresso: same beans, much less
water.
2
In conversation, "EspressoScript" is a mouthful, so it
quickly became "Expresso Shot" as a
shorthand. That stuck faster than the full name ever did.
3
Shot ended up being the right word
anyway — short, punchy, one thing done well.
ShotScript kept the spirit of the
original name while being something you can actually
say out loud.