在TypeScript中的通用函数中推断映射类型

Question

Using this StackOverflow post as an example, I implemented a typed event system. Simplified, it looks like:

interface MyTypeMap {
  FOO: string;
  BAR: number;
}

I'm trying to create an event handler utilizing this map:

function handleEvent<T extends keyof MyTypeMap>(eventKey: T, eventMsg: MyTypeMap[T]) {
  switch(eventKey) {
    case('FOO'):
      // TS believes that eventKey is of type 'never'
      // TS believes that eventMsg is 'string|number'
      break;
    case('BAR'):
      // TS believes that eventKey is of type 'never'
      // TS believes that eventMsg is 'string|number'
      break;
  }
}

TypeScript behaves as expected when this function is called externally. For example:

// These work as desired
handleEvent('FOO', 'asdf');
handleEvent('BAR', 5);

// These throw compile errors as desired
handleEvent('FOO', 6);
handleEvent('BAR', 'i am not a string');

However, inside the function TypeScript is very confused. It seems to believe that none of case statements can ever get hit. Why is TypeScript unable to properly infer the types inside the function, though it's working fine with external calls?

Answer 1

There is no way currently to constraint type of one variable based on the type of another variable. The best you can get after removing generic parameter T of handleEvent (no idea why it causes typescript to infer eventKey type as never ) is

function handleEvent(eventKey: keyof MyTypeMap, eventMsg: MyTypeMap[typeof eventKey]) {
  switch(eventKey) {
    case ('FOO'):
          const a1 = eventKey; // a1 has type 'FOO'
          const m1 = eventMsg; // m1 has type string|number
      break;
    case('BAR'):
          const a2 = eventKey; // a2 has type 'BAR'
          const m2 = eventMsg; // again, m2 has type string|number
      break;
  }
}

so the compiler does not restrict the type of eventMsg when the type of the variable it depends on, eventKey , is restricted. It woule be nice if it could, though.

But if you are willing to use an object that maps message type to a handler instead of a switch statement, here is working prototype (currently limited to have only one handler per message type, but could be easily extended I believe):

class Dispatcher {    
    on<
        MessageType extends keyof AppMessageMap
    >(
        messageType: MessageType,
        handler: (message: AppMessageMap[MessageType]) => void
    ): void { 
        this.handlerMap[messageType] = handler;
    }

    handlerMap: {[s: string]: (message: AppMessageMap[keyof AppMessageMap]) => void} = {};

    emit<MessageType extends keyof AppMessageMap>(messageType: MessageType, message: AppMessageMap[MessageType]) {
        const handler = this.handlerMap[messageType];
        if (handler) {
            handler(message);
        }
    } 
}

/* messages.ts */

interface AddCommentMessage {
    commentId: number;
    comment: string;
    userId: number;
}

interface PostPictureMessage {
    pictureId: number;
    userId: number;
}

interface AppMessageMap {
    "ADD_COMMENT": AddCommentMessage,
    "POST_PICTURE": PostPictureMessage
}

/* app.ts */
const dispatcher = new Dispatcher();


dispatcher.on("ADD_COMMENT", (message) => {
    console.log(`add comment: ${message.comment}`);
});
dispatcher.on("POST_PICTURE", (message) => {
    console.log(`post picture: ${message.pictureId}`);
}); 

dispatcher.emit('ADD_COMMENT', {
    comment: 'some comment',
    commentId: 2,
    userId: 3
});
dispatcher.emit('POST_PICTURE', {
    pictureId: 4,
    userId: 5
});