Typed-rest-generator

The ultimate cli tool to generate typescript code that connects your client-side application to your server.

Caution: very experimental

How it works

1. Create a typescript file (in a shared package between your client and server) containing your routes:

   // routes.ts
   // Must end with Routes
   
   // Must end with Request
   export UserCreateRequest {
       name: string;
       email: string;
       password: string;
   }
   
   // Must end with Response
   export UserCreateResponse {
       user: User;
   }

   // index.ts
   export * from "./routes.ts";

2. Run the cli tool: npx typed-rest-generator -i index.ts -o generatedClient.ts. The tool will look for the request/response types and will generate a script containing validators, the Client class and the withValidator helper.

3. The generated code can be used in the following ways:

   Shared package

   // Make sure to install @types/qs and @types/express-serve-static-core as dependencies (not devDependencies!!)
   // index.ts
   export * from "./routes.ts";
   export * from "./generatedClient.ts"; // <-- make sure to export it first

   Client side

   // Import from shared package
   import { Client } from "shared";
   
   let client = new Client({ path: "http://localhost:3002/" });
   
   // Generated function!
   let resp = await client.userCreate(/* takes UserCreateRequest */);
   console.log(resp.user); // resp is UserCreateResponse

   Server-side using express

   import express from "express";
   import { withValidator } from "shared";
   
   // Wrap express with typedRouter to enable type-checking
   const app = express();
   
   // Even the path is type-checked
   // A validator for UserCreateRequest was automatically generated.
   app.post("/user/create", withValidator("/user/create"), (req, res, next) => {
       // req and res are type checked!
       console.log(req.body.name);
   
       res.json({}); // error: `user` is missing in type UserCreateResponse
   });

Command usage

Usage: typed-rest-generator [options]

Options:
  -V, --version       output the version number
  -i --input <file>   The .ts file containing request/response types.
  -o --output <file>  The destination file to generate. Will be overwritten. (default: "")
  -w --watch          Watch the input file for changes.
  -n --namespace      Look for route types in `Routes` namespaces.
  -h, --help          display help for command