deprecated-decorator

This package provides basic TypeScript decorator functionality for marking methods and properties as deprecated. It simply logs console warnings when deprecated code is accessed. While it works for its stated purpose, it's far too limited for production environments where you need proper observability.

The biggest operational issue is the lack of control over logging behavior. It hardcodes console.warn with no hooks for custom loggers, meaning you can't integrate with structured logging systems, send deprecation metrics to monitoring platforms, or suppress warnings in test environments. There's no configuration for throttling repeated warnings, which can spam logs under load.

The package hasn't been updated since 2016, leaving it stuck on older TypeScript decorator syntax. No TypeScript 5.0 support, no ESM builds, and no consideration for modern bundler tree-shaking. For production systems needing deprecation tracking with proper observability, you're better off writing a simple wrapper around your existing logger or using a more maintained solution.

The deprecated-decorator package does exactly what it says - provides a simple @deprecated decorator for marking methods and properties. The API is straightforward: import it, slap it on a method, and it logs warnings when that method is called. For basic JavaScript projects, it works as advertised with minimal setup.

However, the package hasn't been updated since 2016 and shows its age. There's no TypeScript definition file, which is a major pain point since decorators are primarily a TypeScript feature. You'll need to write your own declarations or suppress errors. The documentation is sparse - just a brief README with one example. Error messages are basic console warnings with no customization options for different log levels or integration with modern logging frameworks.

The lack of maintenance means no GitHub issues are being addressed, and Stack Overflow has virtually no discussions about it. For production projects, especially those using TypeScript or modern build tools, you're better off with actively maintained alternatives like deprecated-js or writing a simple custom decorator yourself.

The deprecated-decorator package does exactly what it promises: adds a simple @deprecated decorator to mark methods and properties. The learning curve is essentially zero - you import it, slap it on a method, and it logs warnings when called. For TypeScript projects using legacy decorator syntax, it works fine for basic deprecation notices.

However, the package hasn't been updated since 2016, which creates real problems. It doesn't support modern TypeScript decorator metadata or the upcoming ECMAScript decorator standard. The documentation is minimal - basically just a README with one example. There's no guidance on customizing warning messages beyond the single string parameter, no examples of property deprecation despite it being mentioned, and no information about using it with different module systems.

Error messages are non-existent if you misconfigure it. Community support is essentially dead - GitHub issues go unanswered, and Stack Overflow has virtually no questions about it. When I hit edge cases with class inheritance, I was on my own. For a maintained project, I'd strongly recommend using ESLint's deprecation rules or TypeScript's @deprecated JSDoc tag instead, which have better tooling integration.