Mastering TypeScript: Best Practices and Tips for Efficient Development

Introduction: Recently, during the development of a component library in our department, I noticed some team members showing reluctance towards using TypeScript, often complaining, "TypeScript is too complicated, we don't want to use it!" Initially, I was puzzled: Is TypeScript really that troublesome? However, as I spent time reviewing the team's code, I finally discovered the root of the problem. In this article, I will share my findings and propose solutions.

1. Insufficient Type Reusability: During code reviews, I found a significant amount of repeated type definitions, which decreased code reusability. Further discussions revealed that many team members were unsure how to reuse types in TypeScript. TypeScript allows us to define types using type and interface, but most people were unclear about the differences between them, leading to ineffective type reuse.

2. Merely Adding Properties When Reusing: When reusing types, team members often simply added properties to existing types, overlooking more efficient ways of reusability. In fact, TypeScript provides tools like Omit and Pick for more efficient type reuse.

3. Inconsistent Usage of Basic Types in Component Libraries: To address the issue of inconsistent component property naming, it is crucial to define a unified set of basic types. This ensures consistency in property naming across all components, enhancing the usability and maintainability of the component library.

4. Handling Arrays with Different Element Types: During the review of custom Hooks, I noticed that team members tended to return objects, even when the Hook only returned two values. Using tuples is a better approach to handle arrays with different element types while maintaining type clarity.

5. Dealing with Functions with Variable Number and Types of Parameters: When dealing with functions where the number and types of parameters are not fixed, team members often used any to define parameters and return values. Function overloading is an effective solution to distinguish functions based on different parameter types, numbers, or return types.

6. Component Property Definition: type vs. interface? In defining component properties, team members mixed the use of type and interface. It is recommended to use interface for defining component properties, allowing users to freely extend component properties through declare module statements, enhancing code flexibility and extensibility.

Conclusion: TypeScript is not difficult to use; the key lies in understanding and applying its powerful features. If you encounter any issues while using TypeScript, feel free to leave a comment in the section below. Let's explore together and tackle the challenges posed by TypeScript.