I tend to think since VSCode plugins are javascript all new tooling from Microsoft seems to be written in typescript. As a non front end dev though `npm install` is an instant turnoff for me.
I agree. I was going to install and backed out when I saw `npm install` as well. I am wondering if my priors need to be updated, though (namely: JavaScript is slow, inefficient, and unsuited for anything outside of webdev).
I think javascript is plenty fast these days. My only problem with Typescript/Javascipt is the toolchain is very complex/confusing to someone on the outside. In my experience, Rust/Go or even python is easier to get into if you're not living it every day. Besides familiarity, I'm not sure why someone would choose Typescript for non-web work.