Power Your AWS Lambda Functions with the Benefits of TypeScript

Using TypeScript in AWS Lambda

AWS Lambda is Amazon’s serverless computing platform that enables developers to run code for virtually any type of application or backend service without having to provision, manage, or scale servers. This means less time and money spent on managing infrastructure, and more time for coding. For developers using the popular JavaScript superset TypeScript, AWS Lambda is a great way to take advantage of TypeScript’s amazing features while still managing your applications in the cloud.

TypeScript offers a number of advantages over plain JavaScript, including static typing, better readability, and improved code quality. While it does require some additional setup and configuration, it can be worth the effort if you’re looking build reliable and maintainable applications. In this article, we’ll take a look at using TypeScript with AWS Lambda.

Step 1: Install the Serverless Framework

The first step is to install the Serverless Framework, which is an open-source framework for deploying and managing serverless applications. It provides an easy-to-use interface for deploying and managing Lambda functions and other services on AWS. To install the Serverless Framework, just run the following command:

npm install -g serverless

Step 2: Set Up Your Project

Now that the Serverless Framework is installed, you can create a new project by running the following command:

serverless create --template aws-nodejs --path my-project

This will create a new project directory with the name “my-project” and a basic Node.js project structure. Your project directory should look something like this:

Step 3: Add TypeScript Support

To enable TypeScript support in your project, you’ll need to do the following:

• Install the TypeScript package: npm install --save-dev typescript
• Create a tsconfig.json file in the root of the project directory:

  
  {
    "compilerOptions": {
      "target": "es6",
      "module": "commonjs",
      "outDir": ".webpack/",
      "sourceMap": true
    }
  }
  

• Edit the serverless.yml file to include the following:

  
  ...
  plugins:
    - serverless-webpack
  custom:
    webpackIncludeModules: true
  ...
  

• Create a webpack.config.js file in the root of the project directory with the following contents:

  
  const slsw = require('serverless-webpack');
  
  module.exports = {
    entry: slsw.lib.entries,
    target: 'node',
    mode: slsw.lib.webpack.isLocal ? 'development' : 'production',
    optimization: {
      minimize: false,
    },
    module: {
      rules: [
        {
          test: /\.ts(x?)$/,
          use: [
            {
              loader: 'ts-loader'
            }
          ],
        },
      ],
    },
    resolve: {
      extensions: ['.js', '.jsx', '.json', '.ts', '.tsx'],
    },
  };
  

Step 4: Create Your Lambda Function

Now that TypeScript is enabled in your project, you’re ready to write your Lambda function. Just create a new TypeScript file in the src folder and add your code. For example:

import { APIGatewayEvent, Callback, Context, Handler } from 'aws-lambda';

export const handler: Handler = (event: APIGatewayEvent, context: Context, cb: Callback) => {
  // your code here
};

Step 5: Deploy Your Function

Once you’ve written your function, all you need to do to deploy it is run the following command:

serverless deploy

This will create a new version of your Lambda function in the AWS console and link it to your API Gateway endpoint. You can then test it out to make sure everything works as expected.

Conclusion

Using TypeScript in AWS Lambda is a great way to take advantage of its features while still taking advantage of the scalability and ease of use of Lambda. With the steps outlined above, you should now be well on your way to building TypeScript-powered serverless applications on the AWS platform.