When working with TypeScript in React, you may have come across two different file extensions: .ts and .tsx. These extensions serve specific purposes and understanding the difference between them is crucial for structuring your project correctly. In this article, we will explore the dissimilarities between .ts and .tsx extensions and when to use each of them.

.ts Extension

The .ts extension is used for regular TypeScript files. These files contain TypeScript code without any JSX syntax. If you are working on a non-React TypeScript project or a React project that doesn’t utilize JSX, you should use the .ts extension.

Here’s an example of a .ts file:

// app.ts
function addNumbers(a: number, b: number): number {
  return a + b;
}

console.log(addNumbers(3, 5)); // Output: 8

.tsx Extension

The .tsx extension is used for TypeScript files that contain JSX syntax. JSX allows you to write HTML-like code within your JavaScript or TypeScript files, making it easier to work with React components.

Here’s an example of a .tsx file:

// app.tsx
import React from 'react';

function Greeting(): JSX.Element {
  return 
Hello, World!
;
}

export default Greeting;

In the above example, we are using JSX to define a functional component called Greeting that returns an h1 element with the text “Hello, World!”. The .tsx extension is necessary to indicate that this file contains JSX syntax.

When to Use .ts and .tsx Extensions

Now that we understand the difference between .ts and .tsx extensions, let’s discuss when to use each of them:

• Use the .ts extension for regular TypeScript files that do not contain JSX syntax.
• Use the .tsx extension for TypeScript files that contain JSX syntax, such as React components.

By following this convention, you can ensure that your project is organized and maintainable.

That’s it! You now know the difference between .ts and .tsx extensions and when to use them in your React TypeScript projects. Remember to use .ts for regular TypeScript files and .tsx for files containing JSX syntax.