@tool-belt/type-predicates

A comprehensive collection of performant type guards and assertions with excellent TypeScript support. This library serves as a drop-in replacement for Node.js's util/types module, while offering significantly better type inference, more extensive functionality, and cross-platform compatibility.

Features

• 🚀 Better TypeScript Support: Advanced type inference with generics and precise type narrowing
• 📦 Zero Dependencies: Lightweight and self-contained
• 🌳 Tree-Shakeable: Full ESM support for optimal bundle sizes
• 🌐 Cross-Platform: Works in browsers, Node.js, and any JavaScript environment
• ✅ Thorough Testing: Comprehensive test coverage for both runtime behavior and type safety
• 🔧 Extensive API: More comprehensive than Node.js built-in utilities
• 🎯 Type Guards & Assertions: Every type check is available in both guard and assertion forms

Installation

npm install @tool-belt/type-predicates

pnpm add @tool-belt/type-predicates

yarn add @tool-belt/type-predicates

Browser Support

This library works in all modern browsers and Node.js environments. It's compiled to ES modules and CommonJS, with full support for tree-shaking to minimize bundle size.

Key Differences from node:util/types

1. Superior TypeScript Support

// node:util/types
import { isArray } from 'util/types';
const arr: unknown = ['a', 'b', 'c'];
if (isArray(arr)) {
    // arr is typed as "unknown[]" - not very useful
}

// @tool-belt/type-predicates
import { isArray } from '@tool-belt/type-predicates';
const arr: unknown = ['a', 'b', 'c'];
if (isArray<string>(arr)) {
    // arr is typed as "string[]" - much better!
}

2. Type Assertions

import { assertIsString, assertIsArray } from '@tool-belt/type-predicates';

// Throws TypeError if not a string
assertIsString(value);
// After this line, TypeScript knows 'value' is a string

// With custom error messages
assertIsArray(data, { message: 'Configuration must be an array' });

// With nested validation
assertIsArray<number>(data, {
    valueValidator: (item) => typeof item === 'number',
    message: 'Expected array of numbers',
});

3. Composable Type Guards

import {
    isUnion,
    isString,
    isNumber,
    createTypeGuard,
} from '@tool-belt/type-predicates';

// Combine multiple type guards
const isStringOrNumber = isUnion(isString, isNumber);

// Create custom type guards
const isPositiveNumber = createTypeGuard<number>(
    (value) => isNumber(value) && value > 0,
);

API Overview

Type Guards

Every guard returns a type predicate for TypeScript type narrowing:

import {
    isArray,
    isObject,
    isString,
    isNumber,
    isBoolean,
    isFunction,
    isPromise,
    isMap,
    isSet,
    isDate,
    isRegExp,
    isError,
    isNull,
    isUndefined,
    isNullish,
    isDefined,
    // ... and many more
} from '@tool-belt/type-predicates';

// Use in conditionals
if (isString(value)) {
    // TypeScript knows 'value' is a string here
    console.log(value.toUpperCase());
}

// Use with array methods
const strings = mixedArray.filter(isString);
// strings is typed as string[]

Type Assertions

Every guard has a corresponding assertion that throws on failure:

import {
    assertIsArray,
    assertIsObject,
    assertIsString,
    // ... all guards have assertion versions
} from '@tool-belt/type-predicates';

function processConfig(config: unknown) {
    assertIsObject(config);
    // TypeScript now knows config is an object

    assertIsString(config.name, { message: 'Config name must be a string' });
    // config.name is now typed as string
}

Advanced Features

Deep Validation

import { isArray, isObject, isString } from '@tool-belt/type-predicates';

// Validate array elements
const isStringArray = (value: unknown): value is string[] =>
    isArray(value, { valueValidator: isString });

// Validate object values
const isStringRecord = (value: unknown): value is Record<string, string> =>
    isObject(value, { valueValidator: isString });

Utility Functions

import { createTypeGuard, isUnion } from '@tool-belt/type-predicates';

// Create custom guards
const isNonEmptyString = createTypeGuard<string>(
    (value) => isString(value) && value.length > 0,
);

// Union types
const isNumberOrString = isUnion(isNumber, isString);

Complete API Reference

Basic Types

• isString / assertIsString
• isNumber / assertIsNumber
• isBoolean / assertIsBoolean
• isBigInt / assertIsBigInt
• isSymbol / assertIsSymbol
• isUndefined / assertIsUndefined
• isNull / assertIsNull
• isNullish / assertIsNullish
• isDefined / assertIsDefined
• isNotNull / assertIsNotNull
• isNotNullish / assertIsNotNullish

Object Types

• isObject / assertIsObject - Checks if value is an object (not null)
• isPlainObject / assertIsPlainObject - Checks if value is a plain object (not a class instance)
• isRecord / assertIsRecord - Validates an object with specific key and value types
• isEmptyObject / assertIsEmptyObject - Checks if object has no own properties
• isBoxedPrimitive / assertIsBoxedPrimitive - Checks if value is a boxed primitive

Collection Types

• isArray / assertIsArray - Validates arrays with optional element type checking
• isEmptyArray / assertIsEmptyArray - Checks if array has length of 0
• isNonEmptyArray / assertIsNonEmptyArray - Checks if array has length > 0
• isMap / assertIsMap - Validates Map objects with optional key/value type checking
• isSet / assertIsSet - Validates Set objects with optional value type checking
• isWeakMap / assertIsWeakMap - Checks if value is a WeakMap
• isWeakSet / assertIsWeakSet - Checks if value is a WeakSet

Function Types

• isFunction / assertIsFunction - Checks if value is a function
• isAsyncFunction / assertIsAsyncFunction - Checks if value is an async function
• isGeneratorFunction / assertIsGeneratorFunction - Checks if value is a generator function
• isAsyncGeneratorFunction / assertIsAsyncGeneratorFunction - Checks if value is an async generator function

Iterator Types

• isIterable / assertIsIterable - Validates iterable objects
• isIterator / assertIsIterator - Validates iterator objects
• isGenerator / assertIsGenerator - Checks if value is a generator
• isAsyncGenerator / assertIsAsyncGenerator - Checks if value is an async generator
• isAsyncIterable / assertIsAsyncIterable - Validates async iterable objects
• isMapIterator / assertIsMapIterator - Checks if value is a Map iterator
• isSetIterator / assertIsSetIterator - Checks if value is a Set iterator

Error Types

• isError / assertIsError - Checks if value is an Error
• isNativeError / assertIsNativeError - Checks if value is a native Error type

Number Utilities

• isNaN / assertIsNaN - Checks if value is NaN
• isFinite / assertIsFinite - Checks if value is a finite number
• isInteger / assertIsInteger - Checks if value is an integer
• isSafeInteger / assertIsSafeInteger - Checks if value is a safe integer

String Utilities

• isEmptyString / assertIsEmptyString - Checks if string has length of 0
• isNonEmptyString / assertIsNonEmptyString - Checks if string has length > 0

Buffer and TypedArray Types

• isBuffer / assertIsBuffer - Checks if value is a Buffer
• isArrayBuffer / assertIsArrayBuffer - Checks if value is an ArrayBuffer
• isSharedArrayBuffer / assertIsSharedArrayBuffer - Checks if value is a SharedArrayBuffer
• isAnyArrayBuffer / assertIsAnyArrayBuffer - Checks if value is any kind of ArrayBuffer
• isArrayBufferView / assertIsArrayBufferView - Checks if value is an ArrayBufferView
• isDataView / assertIsDataView - Checks if value is a DataView
• isTypedArray / assertIsTypedArray - Checks if value is any TypedArray
• Various specific TypedArray checkers (Int8Array, Uint8Array, etc.)

Other Built-in Types

• isDate / assertIsDate - Checks if value is a Date
• isRegExp / assertIsRegExp - Checks if value is a RegExp
• isPromise / assertIsPromise - Checks if value is a Promise
• isArgumentsObject / assertIsArgumentsObject - Checks if value is an arguments object

Creating Custom Type Guards

You can create your own type guards using the createTypeGuard utility:

import { createTypeGuard, isNumber } from '@tool-belt/type-predicates';

// Create a type guard for positive numbers
const isPositiveNumber = createTypeGuard<number>(
    (value) => isNumber(value) && value > 0,
);

// Use it like any other guard
if (isPositiveNumber(value)) {
    // TypeScript knows value is a number here
    // Runtime has verified value > 0
}

Error Handling Examples

import { isError } from '@tool-belt/type-predicates';

try {
    // Your code that might throw
} catch (error) {
    // TypeScript types catch blocks as 'unknown'
    if (isError(error)) {
        console.error(error.message);
        console.error(error.stack);
    }
}

License

MIT