A guide on defining optional class parameters in Angular 2 using Typescript

In Typescript, optional parameters are indicated by a question mark.

However, I have only found one way to instantiate the class using the new keyword.

Interestingly, in Angular 2's "hero" tutorial, classes are not instantiated with the new keyword; this is internally handled by Angular.

For example, consider the following code snippets:

models/users.ts

export class User {
    id: number;
    name?: string; // Making 'name' optional
}

models/mock-users.ts

import {User} from './user';

export const USERS: User[] = [
    {
       id: 1
       // No name specified (making it optional for user with id 1)
    },
    {
       id: 2,
       name: "User 2"
    },        
]

services/user.service.ts

import {Injectable} from 'angular2/core';
import {USERS} from './../models/mock-users';

@Injectable()
export class UserService {
    getUsers() {
         return Promise.resolve(USERS);
    }
}

views/my-component.component.ts

// Other imports...

@Component({
   // ...
})

export class MyComponent {
   constructor(private _userService: UserService) { }

   getUsers() {
         this._userService.getUsers().then(users => console.log(users));
   }
}

Answer №1

If you find it more convenient in your situation, consider using an interface for User instead.

export interface User {
    id: number;
    name?: string; // Fields in interfaces can be optional
}

Interfaces are useful for defining the structure of an object, whereas classes are better suited for adding behavior (methods). When simply moving data around, opt for an interface.

If a class is necessary, the method for creating instances of Users in mock-users.ts will vary slightly. Notably, there are no "optional class fields" in TypeScript. Instead, any field can be not set or 'undefined', rendering optional markings redundant. Use the new keyword to instantiate a class - this requires writing a constructor to assign values or setting fields via a variable. However, utilizing the new keyword is acceptable, particularly for test objects.

An alternative approach involves instantiating an object with an object literal, as demonstrated in mock-users.ts - ensure clarity by including a cast.

export var USERS: User[] = [
    <User> { // Explicit casting informs the TypeScript compiler of your intent
       id: 1
       // Omitting name (making it optional for user with id 1)
    },
    {
       id: 2,
       name: "User 2"
    },        
]

In the absence of casting, the TypeScript compiler will generate an error intentionally designed to identify mistakes. For further insights into this feature, refer to the following discussions:

Answer №2

class Member {
    constructor(public id: number, public username: string = null) {}
}

var MEMBERS: Member[] = [
    new Member(1),
    new Member(2, 'Member 2')
];

console.log(MEMBERS);

Check out this JsFiddle

Utilizing a class constructor can greatly simplify your code and prevent issues with undefined values. It also allows you to add functions directly to the class. Make sure to use new Member(...) when creating instances of the class instead of object literals.

Answer №3

Another approach is to utilize Object.assign for expanding a valid typed object with only the necessary property (leaving out properties a and c in this particular example)

export class A {
    a:number=1;
    b:number;
    c:string;
    d:string;
}

let validA:A = Object.assign(new A(),{
    b:3,
    d:'Lorem ipsum'
});

Personally, I find this syntax preferable as it eliminates multi-line object initialization and the hassle of creating an interface (which seems redundant if a matching class already exists) for each model within my application.

Furthermore, consider setting default values in your class definition, even if they are not compulsory in this scenario.

An important point to note is that you do not lose class methods in this situation (unlike with {} casting)

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