Decorators are an exciting feature in TypeScript that allow you to annotate and modify classes and members. Decorators provide a way to add both code logic and metadata to your classes.
In this post, we’ll explore some of the capabilities of decorators and see examples of how they can be used to extend TypeScript classes in useful ways.
What Are TypeScript Decorators?
Decorators leverage a familiar syntax that doesn’t introduce new concepts. They apply metadata or modify classes using the @expression syntax.
Some key facts about decorators:
- Decorators are functions that take a target, name and property descriptor
- Can be declared on classes, methods, properties, parameters and accessors
- Allow logic to be added to classes non-intrusively
- Enable type safety, logging, validation and other use cases
Since decorators are still experimental, you need to enable them in your TS config:
Let’s look at decorators in action through some common examples.
Logging with Decorators
One popular use case is using decorators for logging. We can create a reusable @log decorator:
The @log decorator automatically logs any time the add method is called.
Validating Data with Decorators
Decorators are also useful for enforcing validation and type safety:
Here the @validate decorator ensures the name method is called properly.
Mixins with Decorators
Another common decorator usage is for mixins. Mixins allow reusable functionality to be shared between classes:
The @mixins decorator copies methods from the Validatable class into the User class.
Final Thoughts
Decorators unlock a lot of useful possibilities in TypeScript. They allow metadata and logic to be added non-intrusively.
Some key benefits are better code reuse, less duplication, and stronger type safety. But decorators should be used carefully as they can make code harder to follow when overused.
Overall, decorators enable cleaner code by reducing side effect logic spread across classes. Give them a try in your next TypeScript project!
When it came to building their chat, social, and video features, the developers at Amity recognized TypeScript’s growing popularity and benefits for scalable development. Knowing it had become essential for modern web applications, Amity provided TypeScript SDKs for integrating Amity’s capabilities.
By adhering to strict best practices like immutable data structures, exhaustive typing, and type guards, they produced high-quality SDKs. Companies using Amity’s TypeScript SDKs can be confident the code stands up to industry standards. With Amity’s TypeScript APIs, developers can easily add powerful communication features while benefiting from TypeScript’s scalability and robustness.
If you’re looking to enable chat, social or live-streaming experiences in your platform, Feel free to explore the features Amity Social Cloud offers. If you find that a pre-built solution aligns with your business goals, you can start right now by contacting Amity here!