Installation

Get started with typist by installing it in your TypeScript project. Typist requires TypeScript 4.5 or later for optimal type inference and error reporting.

Install using your preferred package manager:

Prerequisites

Before installing typist, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

• TypeScript 4.5+ - Required for optimal type inference and error reporting
• Node.js 14+ - For development and build tooling
• A TypeScript-compatible editor - VS Code, WebStorm, or similar with TypeScript support

Package Installation

Install typist using your preferred package manager:

# npm
npm install @type-first/typist

# yarn  
yarn add @type-first/typist

# pnpm
pnpm add @type-first/typist

# Verify installation
npx tsc --noEmit
npm test

TypeScript Configuration

Typist works best with strict TypeScript settings. Add these recommended settings to your tsconfig.json:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "strict": true,
    "noUncheckedIndexedAccess": true,
    "exactOptionalPropertyTypes": true,
    "noImplicitReturns": true,
    "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
    "noUncheckedSideEffectImports": true
  }
}

Verification

Verify your installation by creating a simple test file:

// test-typist.ts
import { t_, $Equal, yes_ } from '@type-first/typist';

// Create a phantom value
const stringValue = t_<string>();

// Test type equality
type StringsAreEqual = $Equal<string, string>;
yes_<StringsAreEqual>(); // ✅ Should compile without errors

console.log('Typist is working correctly!');

Run the verification:

npx tsc test-typist.ts --noEmit
node test-typist.js

IDE Setup

VS Code

For the best experience with typist in VS Code, install these recommended extensions:

• TypeScript Importer - Auto-imports typist utilities
• Error Lens - Inline type error display
• TypeScript Hero - Enhanced TypeScript tooling

Settings

Add these settings to your VS Code workspace:

{
  "typescript.preferences.strictNullChecks": "on",
  "typescript.preferences.noImplicitAny": "on",
  "typescript.displayPartsForJSDoc": true,
  "typescript.suggest.autoImports": "on"
}

Project Integration

Build Integration

Typist works seamlessly with all major build tools:

• Webpack - Works out of the box with ts-loader
• Vite - Native TypeScript support includes typist
• esbuild - TypeScript transformation handles typist utilities
• Rollup - Use with @rollup/plugin-typescript

Testing

Typist type assertions work great with testing frameworks:

// In your test files
import { $Equal, yes_, no_ } from '@type-first/typist';

describe('Type Tests', () => {
  it('should validate user type structure', () => {
    type User = { id: string; name: string };
    type ValidUser = { id: string; name: string };
    
    // This will cause a compile error if types don't match
    yes_<$Equal<User, ValidUser>>();
  });
});

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Module not found

If you see Cannot find module '@type-first/typist', ensure:

• The package is installed in your project
• Your node_modules directory is not corrupted
• TypeScript can resolve the module path

Type errors in strict mode

Typist is designed for strict TypeScript. If you're seeing unexpected type errors:

• Enable strict mode in your tsconfig.json
• Update to TypeScript 4.5 or later
• Check our Troubleshooting Guide