Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit
skrebbel | on: TypeScript enums: use cases and alternatives
One thing I'm missing in the comments here is that enums are a very early TypeScript feature. They were in there nearly from the start, when the project was still trying to find clarity on its goals and principles.

Since then:

- TypeScript added string literals and unions, eg `type Status = "Active" | "Inactive"`

- TypeScript added `as const`, eg `const Status = { Active: 0, Inactive: 1 } as const`

- TypeScript adopted a stance that features should only generate runtime code when it's on a standards track

Enums made some sense back when TS didn't have any of these. They don't really make a lot of sense now. I think they're effectively deprecated, to the point that I wonder why they don't document them as deprecated.

mistercow | parent | next
I think they also haven't gotten very much attention in the last few years as new features have been added. Nine times out of ten, if I hit a weird case where TS doesn't understand some type that it really seems like it should understand, it involves an enum. And if I rewrite the enum as a union type and update the other code that uses it, my issue goes away.

I agree they should just formally deprecate it.

loading story #42768741
n144q | parent | next
They still make sense in terms of clarity, readability and reusability. I use enum every time there are more than 2 entries -- literal types and "as const" are just ugly in comparison.

Not to mention that you can add documentation to each of the entries.

loading story #42770523
loading story #42770355
leidenfrost | parent | next
I wonder if there's a guide of recommendations about typescript now deprecated features, and its modern equivalents.
loading story #42770400
loading story #42768418
tgv | parent | next
Changing values (after a change in an external interface), tracking use and renaming is harder in the first case. In the second case, the code can change the value at runtime.
loading story #42767765
skrebbel | root | parent
> Changing values (after a change in an external interface), tracking use and renaming is harder in the first case.

FWIW in VS Code I can rename a string literal (in the type definition) and it's renamed everywhere. Similarly I can use "Find All References", it just works. Pretty cool!

| parent
{"deleted":true,"id":42769638,"parent":42767627,"time":1737386889,"type":"comment"}