ts-optional

In TypeScript, like in JavaScript, every value is nullable. However, sometimes you want to prevent the caller from sending a null value. You might end up with something like this:

function(value: Type) {
  if (!value) {
    throw "value can not be null!"
  }
  ...
}

However, sometimes a null value is valid and expected. There is no way to enforce this in TypeScript, so you would resort to a comment:

// Returns null if the source string is not a valid number
function parseIfNumber(source: string): number { ... }

With this library, optional values are explicit and enforced by the TypeScript compiler. All you need to do is start using nil instead of null, and annotating optional values with Optional.

Installation

> npm install --save ts-optional

Optionals are attached to the global object and uses Monkey Patching to extend the behaviour of the global Object prototype. Depending on your platform you must execute the index.js file before running the TypeScript code.

Directly in a script tag

<script src="node_modules/ts-optional/index.js"></script>
<script src="my_compiled_typescript.js"></script>

Where the TypeScript source file would contain /// <reference path="node_modules/ts-optional/index.d.ts" />.

Using Node or Browserify (CommonJS)

Put this in the head of the TypeScript source file.

/// <reference path="node_modules/ts-optional/index.d.ts" />
require("ts-optional")

Usage

function parseIfNumber(source: string): Optional<number> {
  if (/^\d+$/.test(source)) {
    return parseInt(source)
  } else if (/^\d*\.\d+$/.test(source)) {
    return parseFloat(source)
  } else {
    return nil
  }
}
 
parseIfNumber("not a number").valueOf() || 0  // 0
parseIfNumber("123").valueOf() || 0           // 123
parseIfNumber(".1").valueOf() || 0            // 0.1
 
parseIfNumber("not a number")                 // nil
parseIfNumber("123")                          // 123
 
// All objects are optionals
"string".valueOf() || "default"               // "string"
 
var optional: Optional<string>
var nonOptional: string
 
nonOptional = 123
//            ^^^ number cannot be assigned to string
 
optional = 123
//         ^^^ number cannot be assigned to Optional<string>
 
nonOptional = "string" // Valid
optional = "string"    // Also valid
 
nonOptional = nil
//            ^^^ Optional<any> cannot be assigned to string
optional = nil         // Valid

Unwrap an optional by using isNil and valueOf().

const maybeNumber = parseIfNumber(someString)
 
if (maybeNumber.isNil) {
  // Handle degenerate case
} else {
  const number = maybeNumber.valueOf()
  // or cast
  const number = <number>maybeNumber
}

The optional is not its own object, so casting works as well as equality checks.

parseIfNumber("123") === 123 // true
parseIfNumber("not a number") === nil // true
parseIfNumber("123") === nil // false