[yareally]

TypeScript uses npm as a package manager yes, but there is unfortunately no support for using Node within TypeScript yet on Visual Studio. There are definitions for node/express/etc, just cannot compile them directly in Visual Studio and also have debugging (unless the linked package in the OP has changed that).

[int_19h]

TypeScript support is not there yet, but we have it on the radar: https://nodejstools.codeplex.com/workitem/291

[pjmlp]

I should have been a bit more specific, Microsoft could have used any language to build the TypeScript compiler.

They took however the best solution by bootstraping it in JavaScript and using node for the process.

Just correct me if I am wrong.

[yareally]

Looks correct to me and makes the most sense to build the tools in the language TypeScript compiles to. On another note, it would appear they will be adding TypeScript support in the beta[1], which makes me very happy.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6777360