My database returns objects structured like this:
interface Bicycle {
id: string;
created_at: string;
}
The data in the created_at field is a machine-friendly date that I need to convert into a Date object for localization: new Date(bike.created_at).
Instead of treating created_at as a simple string, I want to define it as a type that extends string with a method for converting it into a Date object: bike.created_at.toDate().
This approach would provide an efficient and type-safe way to obtain Date objects from these date-containing strings stored in the database.
A potential implementation could be:
interface DateString extends string {
toDate(): Date;
}
interface Bicycle {
id: string;
created_at: DateString;
}
However, implementing this solution would require modifying the string prototype to add my custom toDate method. It's important to note that altering prototypes can lead to unexpected outcomes and is generally considered bad practice. Moreover, exposing toDate on all strings in the application raises concerns.
An alternative option would involve creating a transformer function to replace the created_at string with a Date object. However, this approach may introduce more fragility compared to defining created_at as a special string designated for date purposes.