Are you new to TypeScript and eager to dive into your first project? Like many developers, you might be pondering questions about how to effectively structure types and interfaces in your TypeScript project. In this article, we will explore various strategies for organizing your type definitions to create a robust and expandable codebase.
Getting It Right the First Time
When embarking on a new project, it’s natural to want to get everything right from the start. After all, the structure and organization of your code will significantly impact its maintainability and scalability.
Throughout my experience working on diverse projects, I’ve noticed a common pattern: developers tend to adopt the folder structure used by their organization or company.
Whether it’s a small custom app, a large government project, a product-based application, or a personal project, this pattern persists.
The key takeaway here is that there’s no universally best way to structure a project in TypeScript or any other programming language.
Each project is unique and presents its own set of challenges, which means the project’s organization will depend on the chosen frameworks and architectural patterns.
Types and Interfaces Organization in TypeScript
This principle extends to organizing and storing types and interfaces in a TypeScript project. For instance, if your project includes both a backend and a frontend, you’re likely using two different frameworks, each with its own architectural pattern. This diversity can result in variations in your project’s structure.
Even when working with different frontend libraries or frameworks like React and Angular, you’ll observe differences in how types and interfaces are managed.
The best way to grasp solid project organization is by gaining experience working on various projects with different developers and companies.
However, not every developer has the luxury of such exposure. Therefore, I’ll provide some alternative approaches to help you begin organizing and storing types and interfaces in your TypeScript project.
Global-based
One approach to managing types and interfaces is by consolidating them in a single types.ts file located at the root of your project, such as src/types.ts or src/compiler/types.ts.
This approach simplifies the process of locating types, as all team members know that types are stored in one place. This method works well for both small and large projects, serving as a source of truth.
However, a drawback of this global-based structure is that the types.ts file can become quite extensive, with potentially thousands of lines of type definitions in larger projects.
When multiple developers are working on the project, merging conflicts can become common as the types.ts file is frequently modified.
Additionally, this structure may lead to naming conflicts when you need variations of a type or interface without altering the original definition. This can create confusion and redundancy in the codebase.
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Component-based
Component-based development has gained prominence in frontend development, and this approach is reflected in the project’s file organization.
For instance, Angular projects are structured with components at the core. Each component encapsulates everything needed to run it, including HTML, CSS, logic (in .ts files), and test cases.
You can apply a similar structure to your TypeScript project by placing type definitions in component-specific files.
If your project consists of several components, create a .types.ts or .model.ts file within each component’s directory. This approach prevents confusion when using similar types in different components.
However, one downside is the potential for duplicate interfaces when multiple components require similar types.
For example, if you create a new component related to brands and it needs a Car interface similar to the one used in the car component, you’ll end up duplicating the Car interface definition.
Model-based or Object-based
Another approach is to organize types and interfaces by defining models that represent the structure of records in your application, much like database tables.
This approach encourages reusability, as you can use the same model interface across different parts of your application, be it frontend or backend.
Create a models directory and place model files such as car.model.ts, user.model.ts, and brand.model.ts inside it. This approach enhances code clarity and provides a clear understanding of where model-related definitions are used.
Typed-based
The typed-based approach involves categorizing enums, types, interfaces, and classes into their own files.
Organize these files in a central/global folder and further categorize them into subfolders, such as enums, interfaces, and types. This structured approach ensures that all your type-related entities are organized and easy to locate.
Hybrid
The hybrid approach combines elements of both global and component-based or model-based approaches.
In this method, you store common types and interfaces in a global folder while keeping specific types and interfaces related to individual components, controllers, or services within their respective directories.
Experimentational-based
In the end, there’s no one-size-fits-all rule for organizing your project structure. Each project has its unique requirements and quirks.
For instance, in a React project, you might define component-specific interfaces for props, allowing you to describe the expected properties and data flow within that component.
As you gain experience and work on various projects, you’ll develop a sense of what organizational structures work best for different scenarios.
If you’re just starting your first project, follow your intuition and adapt your structure as your application grows and evolves.
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Conclusion
Organizing types and interfaces in your TypeScript project is a crucial aspect of maintaining a clean, scalable, and understandable codebase. While there is no definitive “best” way to structure your project, you have a variety of options to choose from.
Whether you opt for a global-based approach, component-based organization, model-based definitions, or any other method, the key is to adapt to your project’s unique needs and continually refine your structure as you gain experience.
Over time, you’ll develop a keen sense of what works best for your specific projects and teams.
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