exponentiationOperators

Prefers the ** operator over Math.pow().

✅ This rule is included in the ts stylistic and stylisticStrict presets.

The exponentiation operator ** was introduced in ES2016 as a more readable alternative to Math.pow(). This rule suggests using ** instead of Math.pow() for exponentiation operations.

Benefits of using ** include:

• A more concise and readable syntax
• It works with BigInt values, unlike Math.pow()
• Consistency with other mathematical operators

Examples

❌ Incorrect

const result = Math.pow(2, 8);

const squared = Math.pow(x, 2);

const cubed = Math.pow(base, exponent);

✅ Correct

const result = 2 ** 8;

const squared = x ** 2;

const cubed = base ** exponent;

Options

This rule is not configurable.

When Not To Use It

If you need to support environments that don’t have the exponentiation operator (pre-ES2016), you may disable this rule. However, most modern JavaScript environments support **, and transpilers can convert it for older targets.

Some projects also prefer to use Math.pow() for consistency with older codebases or Math-oriented areas of code.

Further Reading

• MDN: Exponentiation (**)
• MDN: Math.pow()

Equivalents in Other Linters

• Biome: useExponentiationOperator
• ESLint: prefer-exponentiation-operator
• Oxlint: eslint/prefer-exponentiation-operator