Learn TypeScript — The Ultimate Beginners Guide : Generics
Published: 2022-06-18 17:57:41



![Typescript generics](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/mv3b1mo3k7dqlfy4k119.png)

## 1. Generics

### 1- Generic Classes and The Keyof Operator :

```typescript
class KeyValuePair<K, V> {
  constructor(public key: K, public value: V) {}
}

let kvp = new KeyValuePair<string, number>("name", 10);
/*

you can also use this syntax :
  let kvp = new KeyValuePair('name', 10); 
  the compiler will refer the type of the key and value for us

*/
```

### 2- Generic Functions :

```typescript
class ArrayUtils {
  static wrapInArray<T>(value: T) {
    return Array.isArray(value) ? value : [value];
  }
}

let numbers = ArrayUtils.wrapInArray(1);
let strings = ArrayUtils.wrapInArray("hello");

console.log(numbers); // [1]
console.log(strings); // ["hello"]
```

### 3- Generic Interfaces :

```typescript
interface Result<T> {
  data: T | null;
  error: string | null;
}

interface User {
  userName: string;
}

interface Product {
  productName: string;
}

function fetch<T>(url: string): Result<T> {
  return {
    data: null,
    error: null,
  };
}

fetch<User>("url").data?.userName;
fetch<Product>("url").data?.productName;
```

### 4- Generic Constraints :

```typescript
class Person {
  constructor(public name: string) {}
}

class Student extends Person {}

function echo<T extends Person>(arg: T): T {
  return arg;
}

echo(new Person("John"));
echo(new Student("Zineddine"));
echo(10); // Argument of type 'number' is not assignable to parameter of type 'Person'
```

### 5- Extending Generic Classes :

```typescript
class Product {
  constructor(public name: string, public price: number) {}
}

class Store<T> {
  protected _objects: T[] = [];

  addObject(object: T) {
    this._objects.push(object);
  }

  find(property: keyof T, value: unknown): T[] {
    return this._objects.filter((o) => o[property] === value);
  }
}

// pass on the generic type parameter
class CompressibleStore<T> extends Store<T> {
  compress() {
    this._objects.forEach((object) => {
      console.log(object);
    });
  }
}

let compressibleStore = new CompressibleStore<Product>();
compressibleStore.addObject(new Product("Product 1", 100));

compressibleStore.compress(); // Product { name: 'Product 1', price: 100 }

// Restrictions the generic type parameter
class SearchableStore<T extends { name: string }> extends Store<T> {
  search(searchTerm: string) {
    this._objects.find((object) => {
      return object.name === searchTerm;
    });
  }
}

// Fix the generic type parameter
class ProductStore extends Store<Product> {}

let store = new Store<Product>();

store.addObject(new Product("Product 1", 100));
store.addObject(new Product("Product 2", 200));

store.find("name", "Product 1"); // [Product { name: 'Product 1', price: 100 }]

store.find("name", "Product 3"); // []

store.find("nonExistingProperty", "Product 3"); // Argument of type '"nonExistingProperty"' is not assignable to parameter of type 'keyof Product'
```

##" 6- Type mapping :

```typescript
interface Product {
  name: string;
  price: number;
}

type ReadOnly<T> = {
  readonly [K in keyof T]: T[K];
};

type Optional<T> = {
  [K in keyof T]?: T[K];
};

type Nullable<T> = {
  [K in keyof T]: T[K] | null;
};
```

That’s it for the this chapter !

Github link : [TypeScript-Fundamentals-in-One-Place](https://github.com/haddadzineddine/TypeScript-Fundamentals-in-One-Place)