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JavaScript React Basics (retired) First Steps in React Our First Application

Cory Maloy
Cory Maloy
1,855 Points
Posted by Cory Maloy
Cory Maloy
1,855 Points

He keeps saying compile, but I think he means transpile..?

Babel is a transpiler I thought.

1 Answer

Sebastian H
Sebastian H
19,905 Points

Hey Corey,

Good question. This article says:

(...) transpiling is a specific kind of compiling.

  • Compiling is the general term for taking source code written in one language and transforming into another.

  • Transpiling is a specific term for taking source code written in one language and transforming into another language that has a similar level of abstraction.

So basically compiling can be (and is used - look on the babel website) as a blanket term for converting code from any one language into any other language. Jim is correct in saying compiling. But you are also correct in saying transpiling as JSX (as an extension to ECMAScript) and Javascript are both similarly high level abstraction languages.