A collection of essential TypeScript types

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Many of the types here should have been built-in. You can help by suggesting some of them to the TypeScript project.

Either add this package as a dependency or copy-paste the needed types. No credit required. 👌

PR welcome for additional commonly needed types and docs improvements. Read the contributing guidelines first.

Install

$ npm install type-fest

Requires TypeScript >=3.2

Usage

import {Except} from 'type-fest';

type Foo = {
	unicorn: string;
	rainbow: boolean;
};

type FooWithoutRainbow = Except<Foo, 'rainbow'>;
//=> {unicorn: string}

API

Click the type names for complete docs.

Basic

• Primitive - Matches any primitive value.
• Class - Matches a class constructor.
• TypedArray - Matches any typed array, like Uint8Array or Float64Array.
• JsonObject - Matches a JSON object.
• JsonArray - Matches a JSON array.
• JsonValue - Matches any valid JSON value.
• ObservableLike - Matches a value that is like an Observable.

Utilities

• Except - Create a type from an object type without certain keys. This is a stricter version of Omit.
• Mutable - Convert an object with readonly properties into a mutable object. Inverse of Readonly<T>.
• Merge - Merge two types into a new type. Keys of the second type overrides keys of the first type.
• MergeExclusive - Create a type that has mutually exclusive properties.
• RequireAtLeastOne - Create a type that requires at least one of the given properties.
• ReadonlyDeep - Create a deeply immutable version of a object/Map/Set/Array type.
• LiteralUnion - Create a union type by combining primitive types and literal types without sacrificing auto-completion in IDEs for the literal type part of the union. Workaround for Microsoft/TypeScript#29729.
• Promisable - Create a type that represents either the value or the value wrapped in PromiseLike.
• Opaque - Create an opaque type.

Miscellaneous

• PackageJson - Type for npm's package.json file.

Declined types

If we decline a type addition, we will make sure to document the better solution here.

• Diff and Spread - The PR author didn't provide any real-world use-cases and the PR went stale. If you think this type is useful, provide some real-world use-cases and we might reconsider.

Tips

Built-in types

There are many advanced types most users don't know about.

• Partial<T> - Make all properties in T optional.

  Example

  Playground

  interface NodeConfig {
      appName: string;
      port: number;
  }
  
  class NodeAppBuilder {
      private configuration: NodeConfig = {
          appName: 'NodeApp',
          port: 3000,
      };
  
      config(config: Partial<NodeConfig>) {
          type NodeConfigKey = keyof NodeConfig;
  
          for (const key of Object.keys(config) as NodeConfigKey[]) {
              const updateValue = config[key];
  
              if (updateValue === undefined)
                  continue;
  
              this.configuration[key] = updateValue;
          }
  
          return this;
      }
  }
  
  // Partial<NodeConfig> allows us to provide only a part of the
  // NodeConfig interface.
  new NodeAppBuilder()
      .config({ appName: 'ToDoApp' });
  

• Required<T> - Make all properties in T required.

  Example

  Playground

  interface ContactForm {
      email?: string;
      message?: string;
  }
  
  function submitContactForm (formData: Required<ContactForm>) {
      // Send the form data to the server
  }
  
  submitContactForm({
      email: 'ex@mple.com',
      message: 'Hi! Could you tell me more about...',
  });
  
  // TypeScript error: missing property 'message'
  submitContactForm({
      email: 'ex@mple.com',
  });
  

• Readonly<T> - Make all properties in T readonly.

  Example

  Playground

  enum LogLevel {
      Off,
      Debug,
      Error,
      Fatal,
  };
  
  interface LoggerConfig {
      name: string;
      level: LogLevel;
  }
  
  class Logger {
      config: Readonly<LoggerConfig>;
  
      constructor({ name, level }: LoggerConfig) {
          this.config = { name, level };
          Object.freeze(this.config);
      }
  }
  
  const config: LoggerConfig = { name: 'MyApp', level: LogLevel.Debug };
  const logger = new Logger(config);
  
  // TypeScript Error: cannot assign to read-only property.
  logger.config.level = LogLevel.Error;
  
  // We are able to edit config variable as we please.
  config.level = LogLevel.Error;
  

• Pick<T, K> - From T, pick a set of properties whose keys are in the union K.

  Example

  Playground

  interface Article {
      title: string;
      thumbnail: string;
      content: string;
  }
  
  // Creates new type out of Article interface composed from Articles' two
  // properties: 'title' and 'thumbnail'.
  // ArticlePreview = { title: string; thumbnail: string; }
  type ArticlePreview = Pick<Article, 'title' | 'thumbnail'>;
  
  // Render a list of articles using only title and description.
  function renderArticlePreviews(previews: ArticlePreview[]): HTMLElement {
      const articles = document.createElement('div');
      for (const preview of previews) {
          // append preview to the articles
      }
      return articles;
  }
  
  const articles = renderArticlePreviews([
      { title: 'TypeScript tutorial!', thumbnail: '/assets/ts.jpg', },
  ]);
  

• Record<K, T> - Construct a type with a set of properties K of type T.

  Example

  Playground

      // Positions of employees in our company.
  type MemberPosition = 'intern' | 'developer' | 'tech-lead';
  
  // Interface describing properties of a single employee.
  interface Employee {
      firstName: string;
      lastName: string;
      yearsOfExperience: number;
  }
  
  // Create an object that has all possible `MemberPosition` values set as keys.
  // Those keys will store collection of Emplyees of the same position.
  const team: Record<MemberPosition, Employee[]> = {
      intern: [],
      developer: [],
      'tech-lead': [],
  };
  
  // Our team has decided to help John with his dream of becoming Software Developer.
  team.intern.push({ firstName: 'John', lastName: 'Doe', yearsOfExperience: 0 });
  
  // Record forces you to initialize all of the property keys
  // TypeScript Error: "tech-lead" property is missing
  const teamEmpty: Record<MemberPosition, null> = {
      intern: null,
      developer: null,
  };
  

• Exclude<T, U> - Exclude from T those types that are assignable to U.

  Example

  Playground

  interface ServerConfig {
    port: null | string | number;
  }
  
  type RequestHandler = (req: Request, res: Response) => void;
  
  // Exclude null type from `null | string | number`.
  // In case when port is equal to null we will use default value.
  function getPortValue(port: Exclude<ServerConfig['port'], null>): number {
    if (typeof port === 'string') return parseInt(port, 10);
    return port;
  }
  
  function startServer(handler: RequestHandler, config: ServerConfig): void {
    const server = require('http').createServer(handler);
  
    const port = config.port === null ? 3000 : getPortValue(config.port);
    server.listen(port);
  }
  

• Extract<T, U> - Extract from T those types that are assignable to U.

  Example

  Playground

  declare function uniqueId(): number;
  const ID = Symbol('ID');
  
  interface Person {
    [ID]: number;
    name: string;
    age: number;
  }
  
  // Allows change of person data as long as the property key is of string type.
  function changePersonData<
    Obj extends Person,
    Key extends Extract<keyof Person, string>,
    Value extends Obj[Key]
  > (obj: Obj, key: Key, value: Value): void {
    obj[key] = value;
  }
  
  // Tiny Andrew was born.
  const andrew = {
    [ID]: uniqueId(),
    name: 'Andrew',
    age: 0,
  };
  
  // Cool, we're fine with that.
  changePersonData(andrew, 'name', 'Andrea');
  
  // Goverment didn't like the fact that you wanted to change your identity.
  changePersonData(andrew, ID, uniqueId());
  

• NonNullable<T> - Exclude null and undefined from T.

  Example

  Works with strictNullChecks set to true. (Read more here)

  Playground

  type PortNumber = string | number | null;
  
  /** Part of a class definition that is used to build a server */
  class ServerBuilder {
      portNumber!: NonNullable<PortNumber>;
  
      port(this: ServerBuilder, port: PortNumber): ServerBuilder {
          if (port == null) {
              this.portNumber = 8000;
          } else {
              this.portNumber = port;
          }
  
          return this;
      }
  }
  
  const serverBuilder = new ServerBuilder();
  
  serverBuilder
      .port('8000')   // portNumber = '8000'
      .port(null)     // portNumber =  8000
      .port(3000);    // portNumber =  3000
  
  // TypeScript Error
  serverBuilder.portNumber = null;
  

• Parameters<T> - Obtain the parameters of a function type in a tuple.

  Example

  Playground

  function shuffle(input: any[]): void {
    // Mutate array randomly changing its' elements indexes.
  }
  
  function callNTimes<Fn extends (...args: any[]) => any> (func: Fn, callCount: number) {
    // Type that represents type of received function parameters.
    type FunctionParameters = Parameters<Fn>;
  
    return function (...args: FunctionParameters) {
      for (let i = 0; i < callCount; i++) {
        func(...args);
      }
    }
  }
  
  const shuffleTwice = callNTimes(shuffle, 2);
  

• ConstructorParameters<T> - Obtain the parameters of a constructor function type in a tuple.

  Example

  Playground

  class ArticleModel {
    title: string;
    content?: string;
  
    constructor(title: string) {
      this.title = title;
    }
  }
  
  class InstanceCache<T extends (new (...args: any[]) => any)> {
    private ClassConstructor: T;
    private cache: Map<string, InstanceType<T>> = new Map();
  
    constructor (ctr: T) {
      this.ClassConstructor = ctr;
    }
  
    getInstance (...args: ConstructorParameters<T>): InstanceType<T> {
      const hash = this.calculateArgumentsHash(...args);
  
      const existingInstance = this.cache.get(hash);
      if (existingInstance !== undefined) return existingInstance;
  
      return new this.ClassConstructor(...args);
    }
  
    private calculateArgumentsHash(...args: any[]): string {
      // Calculate hash
      return 'hash';
    }
  }
  
  const articleCache = new InstanceCache(ArticleModel);
  const amazonArticle = articleCache.getInstance('Amazon forests burining!');
  

• ReturnType<T> – Obtain the return type of a function type.

  Example

  Playground

  /** Provide every element of iterable `iter` into the `callback` function and store results in an array. */
  function mapIter<
      Elem,
      Func extends (elem: Elem) => any,
      Ret extends ReturnType<Func>
  >(iter: Iterable<Elem>, callback: Func): Ret[] {
      const mapped: Ret[] = [];
  
      for (const elem of iter) {
          mapped.push(callback(elem));
      }
  
      return mapped;
  }
  
  const setObject: Set<string> = new Set();
  const mapObject: Map<number, string> = new Map();
  
  mapIter(setObject, (v: string) => v.indexOf('Foo')); // number[]
  
  mapIter(mapObject, ([key, val]: [number, string]) => {
      return key % 2 === 0 ? val : 'Odd';
  }); // string[]
  

• InstanceType<T> – Obtain the instance type of a constructor function type.

  Example

  Playground

  class IdleService {
      doNothing (): void {}
  }
  
  class News {
      title: string;
      content: string;
  
      constructor(title: string, content: string) {
          this.title = title;
          this.content = content;
      }
  }
  
  const instanceCounter: Map<Function, number> = new Map();
  
  interface Constructor {
      new(...args: any[]): any;
  }
  
  // Keep track how many instances of `Constr` constructor have been created.
  function getInstance<
      Constr extends Constructor,
      Args extends ConstructorParameters<Constr>
  >(constructor: Constr, ...args: Args): InstanceType<Constr> {
      let count = instanceCounter.get(constructor) || 0;
  
      const instance = new constructor(...args);
  
      instanceCounter.set(constructor, count + 1);
  
      console.log(`Created ${count + 1} instances of ${Constr.name} class`);
  
      return instance;
  }
  
  
  const idleService = getInstance(IdleService);
  // Will log: `Created 1 instances of IdleService class`
  const newsEntry = getInstance(News, 'New ECMAScript proposals!', 'Last month...');
  // Will log: `Created 1 instances of News class`
  

• Omit<T, K> – Constructs a type by picking all properties from T and then removing K.

  Example

  Playground

  interface Animal {
      imageUrl: string;
      species: string;
      images: string[];
      paragraphs: string[];
  }
  
  // Creates new type with all properties of Animal interface except 'images' and
  // 'paragraphs' properties.
  // We can use this type to render small hover tooltip for Wiki entry list.
  type AnimalShortInfo = Omit<Animal, 'images' | 'paragraphs'>;
  
  function renderAnimalHoverInfo (animals: AnimalShortInfo[]): HTMLElement {
      const container =  document.createElement('div');
      // Internal implementation.
      return container;
  }
  

You can find some examples in the TypeScript docs.

Maintainers

• Sindre Sorhus
• Jarek Radosz
• Dimitri Benin

License

(MIT OR CC0-1.0)

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