Nov 26, 2018
Using TypeScript Type Guard to Narrow Down Type
Update: This article is outdated. With the introduction of inferred type predicate in TypeScript 5.5, TypeScript can correctly infer the type predicate without us needing to explicitly type it.
Typescript is aware of usage of the Javascript instanceof and typeof operators, and will narrow down the type accordingly when you use those operators in conditional block.
function doSomething(x: number | string) {
if (typeof x === 'string') {
// Within the block TypeScript knows that `x` must be a string
console.log(x.substr(1));
}
x.substr(1);Property 'substr' does not exist on type 'string | number'.
Property 'substr' does not exist on type 'number'.}(Example stolen from Typescript Deep Dive)
Usually, those typechecking are used frequently, and you may want to create some utility function to abstract it away. However, with those abstraction, you lose the narrowing down of typescript.
const isString = (value: any) => typeof value === 'string';
function doSomething(x: number | string) {
if (isString(x)) {
// Typescript doesn't know that x must be a string
console.log(x.substr(1)); // Error
}
}Solution: Custom Type Guard
Typescript introduces the concept of custom type guard, which allows you to create utility function that assert the type of the parameters.
function isString(value: any): value is string {
return typeof value === 'string';
}
function doSomething(x: number | string) {
if (isString(x)) {
console.log(x.substr(1)); // OK
}
}Side Note: npm package for common type checking
I’ve published a npm package, typesafe-is that consists of common type-checking with typeguard, as those are required in almost are javascript applications.
function doSomething(x: number | string): voidx: string | numberx: string | numbervar console: ConsoleThe `console` module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.
The module exports two specific components:
* A `Console` class with methods such as `console.log()`, `console.error()` and `console.warn()` that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
* A global `console` instance configured to write to [`process.stdout`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/process.html#processstdout) and
[`process.stderr`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/process.html#processstderr). The global `console` can be used without importing the `node:console` module.
_**Warning**_: The global console object's methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the [`note on process I/O`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/process.html#a-note-on-process-io) for
more information.
Example using the global `console`:
```js
console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
// Error: Whoops, something bad happened
// at [eval]:5:15
// at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
// at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
// at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
// at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
// at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
// at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3
const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
```
Example using the `Console` class:
```js
const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);
myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err
const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
```@see[source](https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/v20.11.1/lib/console.js)Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+2 overloads)Prints to `stdout` with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to [`printf(3)`](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/printf.3.html)
(the arguments are all passed to [`util.format()`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/util.html#utilformatformat-args)).
```js
const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
```
See [`util.format()`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/util.html#utilformatformat-args) for more information.@sincev0.1.100x: stringString.substr(from: number, length?: number): stringGets a substring beginning at the specified location and having the specified length.@deprecatedA legacy feature for browser compatibility@paramfrom The starting position of the desired substring. The index of the first character in the string is zero.@paramlength The number of characters to include in the returned substring.x: string | numberconst isString: (value: any) => value is stringvalue: anyvalue: anyfunction doSomething(x: number | string): voidx: string | numberconst isString: (value: any) => value is stringx: string | numbervar console: ConsoleThe `console` module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.
The module exports two specific components:
* A `Console` class with methods such as `console.log()`, `console.error()` and `console.warn()` that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
* A global `console` instance configured to write to [`process.stdout`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/process.html#processstdout) and
[`process.stderr`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/process.html#processstderr). The global `console` can be used without importing the `node:console` module.
_**Warning**_: The global console object's methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the [`note on process I/O`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/process.html#a-note-on-process-io) for
more information.
Example using the global `console`:
```js
console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
// Error: Whoops, something bad happened
// at [eval]:5:15
// at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
// at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
// at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
// at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
// at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
// at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3
const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
```
Example using the `Console` class:
```js
const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);
myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err
const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
```@see[source](https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/v20.11.1/lib/console.js)Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+2 overloads)Prints to `stdout` with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to [`printf(3)`](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/printf.3.html)
(the arguments are all passed to [`util.format()`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/util.html#utilformatformat-args)).
```js
const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
```
See [`util.format()`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/util.html#utilformatformat-args) for more information.@sincev0.1.100x: stringString.substr(from: number, length?: number): stringGets a substring beginning at the specified location and having the specified length.@deprecatedA legacy feature for browser compatibility@paramfrom The starting position of the desired substring. The index of the first character in the string is zero.@paramlength The number of characters to include in the returned substring.function isString(value: any): value is stringvalue: anyvalue: anyvalue: anyfunction doSomething(x: number | string): voidx: string | numberfunction isString(value: any): value is stringx: string | numbervar console: ConsoleThe `console` module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.
The module exports two specific components:
* A `Console` class with methods such as `console.log()`, `console.error()` and `console.warn()` that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
* A global `console` instance configured to write to [`process.stdout`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/process.html#processstdout) and
[`process.stderr`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/process.html#processstderr). The global `console` can be used without importing the `node:console` module.
_**Warning**_: The global console object's methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the [`note on process I/O`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/process.html#a-note-on-process-io) for
more information.
Example using the global `console`:
```js
console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
// Error: Whoops, something bad happened
// at [eval]:5:15
// at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
// at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
// at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
// at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
// at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
// at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3
const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
```
Example using the `Console` class:
```js
const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);
myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err
const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
```@see[source](https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/v20.11.1/lib/console.js)Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+2 overloads)Prints to `stdout` with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to [`printf(3)`](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/printf.3.html)
(the arguments are all passed to [`util.format()`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/util.html#utilformatformat-args)).
```js
const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
```
See [`util.format()`](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest-v20.x/api/util.html#utilformatformat-args) for more information.@sincev0.1.100x: stringString.substr(from: number, length?: number): stringGets a substring beginning at the specified location and having the specified length.@deprecatedA legacy feature for browser compatibility@paramfrom The starting position of the desired substring. The index of the first character in the string is zero.@paramlength The number of characters to include in the returned substring.