There seems to be an issue with type narrowing not functioning properly within the context

Issue with type narrowing in for loop.

Seeking solution for correct type narrowing implementation in for loop.

Provided below is a basic example (Please try running it on TS playground)

// uncertain whether string or null until runtime
const elements = [
  { textContent: Math.random() < 0.5 ? "test": null },
  { textContent: Math.random() < 0.5 ? "test": null },
  { textContent: Math.random() < 0.5 ? "test": null },
];


const data: {
  content: string;
}[] = [];

// successful type narrowing
if (typeof elements[0].textContent === "string") {
  data.push({ content: elements[0].textContent });
}

// unsuccessful type narrowing
for (const index in elements) {
  if (elements[index].textContent && typeof elements[index].textContent === "string") {
    data.push({
      content: elements[index].textContent // <-- Error: Type 'null' is not assignable to type 'string'. textContent: string | null
    });
  }
}

Answer №1

When using for (const i in htmlElements) {}, the type of i is actually string instead of number. This is because when enumerating keys of objects, including arrays, you will receive strings as indexes and not numbers. Consequently, accessing htmlElements[i] involves indexing into an array with an unknown index. The compiler determines this based on the type of i, not its identity. Therefore, even though it may seem obvious that

htmlElements[i] === htmlElements[i]
, the compiler cannot conclude the same if comparing two different variables (i and j). This limitation has been a longstanding issue in TypeScript, as discussed in microsoft/TypeScript#10530.

To work around this issue until it's resolved, it's recommended to first copy the value of htmlElements[i] to a separate variable and then perform your operations on that variable:

for (const i in htmlElements) {
    const el = htmlElements[i];
    if (el.textContent && typeof el.textContent === "string") {
        contents.push({
            content: el.textContent
        });
    }
}

This approach ensures that narrowing down types works as expected.


However, in this particular scenario, further refactoring is advised. It's generally discouraged to iterate over array keys using a for...in loop due to potential issues. Instead, consider using a for...of loop in modern JavaScript for improved readability and performance:

for (const el of htmlElements) {
    if (el.textContent && typeof el.textContent === "string") {
        contents.push({
            content: el.textContent
        });
    }
}

For better clarity and code quality, prefer using the for...of loop when iterating over arrays. You can check out this Playground link to code for reference.

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