@types/gun incompatible with React CRA / Babel

[rm-rf-etc]

• I tried using the @types/gun package and had problems.
• I tried using the latest stable version of tsc. https://www.npmjs.com/package/typescript
• I have a question that is inappropriate for StackOverflow. (Please ask any appropriate questions there).
• Mention the authors (see Definitions by: in index.d.ts) so they can respond.
  • Authors: @Jack-Works

I'm forced to find a workaround to use @types/gun in a create-react-app project because babel doesn't support namespaces, and likely never will. The types for GunDB are all namespaced, so this library won't work for any CRA / Babel users. Since namespaces are now considered legacy and it seems that the push is to use ES6 modules everywhere, I think it makes sense to remove namespaces from @types/gun.

To add some extra context, modifying CRA without ejecting requires some jumping thru hoops:
https://github.com/timarney/react-app-rewired/
https://github.com/arackaf/customize-cra/

FWIW, I'm trying to author a react-gun library.

Would very much appreciate some workaround suggestions.

[Jack-Works]

Yes although ESModule is good to use, sadly the gun itself is providing a complex API. Without namespace, I can't type gun in the correct way

[rm-rf-etc]

Actually, it seems namespace support was merged into babel. Maybe I just need a bleeding edge version.

[rm-rf-etc]

@Jack-Works, Looks like namespace support is in the latest version of @babel/plugin-transform-typescript, but I'm still not able to get the error, Cannot find namespace 'Gun'. Could you provide an example of how to import the Gun namespace, and/or something like ChainReference? import Gun from 'gun' seems to reference Gun.Constructor, and that's all I can access.

[Jack-Works]

I'm sorry when writing typing for gun, I didn't consider it clearly. There is no way to import ChainReference and type is very unfriendly with untyped code.

When I'm free, I'll try to resolve this problem.

[rm-rf-etc]

@Jack-Works okay, thank you for you help with this. I think I found a good temporary solution:

import Gun from 'gun';
const gun = Gun();
type ChainReference = typeof gun;

This seems to be working, but now I'm seeing other problems I don't understand.

If I try to use .put(), I can't pass in my data because the type for the first argument is never:

(method) Gun.ChainReference<any, any, "pre_root">.put(data: never, ...

Is this just a mistake? I see the same issue with .get():

(method) Gun.ChainReference<any, any, "pre_root">.get<string | number | symbol>(key: never, ...

[rm-rf-etc]

@Jack-Works have a look at this code, this compiles and runs as expected.
https://github.com/rm-rf-etc/react-gun-test/blob/master/src/App.tsx

I've cast as any on the .once(), .get(), and .put() methods, to verify that these methods are being used how GUN expects.

I can start submitting PR's as I find these issues.

[rm-rf-etc]

diff --git a/types/gun/index.d.ts b/types/gun/index.d.ts
index 0cba9d6620..1d1813fcbe 100644
--- a/types/gun/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/gun/index.d.ts
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ declare namespace Gun {
          * @param callback invoked on each acknowledgment
          */
         put(
-            data: Partial<AlwaysDisallowedType<DisallowPrimitives<IsTop, DisallowArray<DataType>>>>,
+            data: string | number | boolean | { [p: string]: string | number | boolean },
             callback?: AckCallback
         ): ChainReference<DataType, ReferenceKey, IsTop>;
         /**
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ declare namespace Gun {
          * **Here the type of callback respect to the actual behavior**
          */
         get<K extends keyof DataType>(
-            key: ArrayOf<DataType> extends never ? K : never,
+            key: string | ChainReference,
             callback?: (
                 /** the raw data. Internal node of gun. Will not typed here. */
                 paramA: Record<
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ declare namespace Gun {
          */
         once(
             callback?: (
-                data: (DisallowPrimitives<IsTop, AlwaysDisallowedType<ArrayAsRecord<DataType>>>) | undefined,
+                data: string | number | boolean | (DisallowPrimitives<IsTop, AlwaysDisallowedType<ArrayAsRecord<DataType>>>) | undefined,
                 key: ReferenceKey
             ) => void,
             option?: { wait: number }

@Jack-Works, here's some changes I made in the type definitions. I cloned this to my local and used npm link to use these definitions in my project. I was able to remove the cast as any and compile:
https://github.com/rm-rf-etc/react-gun-test/blob/npm-linked-types-gun/src/App.tsx

[Jack-Works]

@Jack-Works okay, thank you for you help with this. I think I found a good temporary solution:

import Gun from 'gun';
const gun = Gun();
type ChainReference = typeof gun;

This seems to be working, but now I'm seeing other problems I don't understand.

If I try to use .put(), I can't pass in my data because the type for the first argument is never:

(method) Gun.ChainReference<any, any, "pre_root">.put(data: never, ...

Is this just a mistake? I see the same issue with .get():

(method) Gun.ChainReference<any, any, "pre_root">.get<string | number | symbol>(key: never, ...

It's by design. With typed interface, methods like get and put will act normal.

[rm-rf-etc]

@Jack-Works okay, thank you for you help with this. I think I found a good temporary solution:
It's by design. With typed interface, methods like get and put will act normal.

Could you elaborate? Maybe include an example? Shouldn't get and put accept – be default – a type which includes all valid gun data types?

[Jack-Works]

@Jack-Works okay, thank you for you help with this. I think I found a good temporary solution:
It's by design. With typed interface, methods like get and put will act normal.

Could you elaborate? Maybe include an example? Shouldn't get and put accept – be default – a type which includes all valid gun data types?

You can see the test example in the @types/gun

[rm-rf-etc]

I understand now. In the next version, will ChainReference be exported? It might help me write the types for react-gun.

[Jack-Works]

Yes, I'll find time to do that when I'm free.

…

On Wed, Aug 7, 2019, 12:27 PM Rob ***@***.***> wrote: I understand now. In the next version, will ChainReference be exported? It might help me write the types for react-gun. — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#37344?email_source=notifications&email_token=ABJEC73SLMGCLQBYVFZH7UTQDJFMRA5CNFSM4IJEOMKKYY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFVREXG43VMVBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOD3XFATA#issuecomment-518934604>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABJEC7Z2TP3GIAYIGLRFPSLQDJFMRANCNFSM4IJEOMKA> .

[Jack-Works]

Got no idea how to do this well, maybe I need to contribute to gun and let them to use esmodule first

[Jack-Works]

amark/gun#789

[Jack-Works]

Actually I can, I know there is a change in the gun that make gun provides esmodule export. After the export shipped, I'll use a more graceful way to export the types.

…

On Thu, Aug 15, 2019, 2:46 AM Rob ***@***.***> wrote: @Jack-Works <https://github.com/Jack-Works>, cross-posting this question from gitter. Is a reason we can't export the Gun namespace? I'm having trouble typing the following function for react-gun <https://github.com/rm-rf-etc/react-gun>: export const init = <AppState>(RootName: Gun.ArrayOf<AppState>, ...args: any[]) => { const gun = Gun<AppState>(...args); const app = gun.get(RootName); return { gun, app }; }; — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#37344?email_source=notifications&email_token=ABJEC7ZNSJNTAZRKKWNCGLTQERHJXA5CNFSM4IJEOMKKYY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFVREXG43VMVBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOD4JXTOY#issuecomment-521370043>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABJEC7ZIOJNPOEFYZWZE6RDQERHJXANCNFSM4IJEOMKA> .

[Jack-Works]

I have seen the experimental es module export gun, I'll rewrite the types later, make it more friendly to TypeScript and non-typescript users.

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