# TypeSpec

11 Hacker News commenters recommended TypeSpec and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Microsoft's API description language that generates Azure SDKs, docs and CLIs, and makes writing OpenAPI far less verbose. Critics say its syntax seems minimal and somewhat lacking.

## Why people recommend it

- Far less verbose than OpenAPI (2 comments): "far less verbose. Although, seems to be suspiciously minimal" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47759562)) "it seemed like the antidote to the verbosity" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46268673))
- Makes writing OpenAPI easier (2 comments): "agree it makes writing OpenAPI really easy" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47754970)) ""what if OpenAPI was good"" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47754848))

## What people warn about

- Syntax seems minimal or lacking (2 comments): "far less verbose. Although, seems to be suspiciously minimal" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47759562)) "based on Erlang's "Typespec" syntax which is a bit lacking" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48398420))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [OpenAPI Specification](https://hackerapproved.com/p/openapi.md): 30 recommend
- [Skir](https://hackerapproved.com/p/skir.md): 7 recommend
- [Swagger](https://hackerapproved.com/p/swagger.md): 6 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "TypeSpec", https://hackerapproved.com/p/typespec/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).