Update library to use declare class

[dr-vortex]

Currently, declarations for classes consist of an interface for the instance and a declare var for the static side. This is a convoluted way of approaching classes. Instead, Typescript should use declare class, which clarifies the type (since the class is known to be a class, rather than a var object which has a new method and prototype property) and simplifies the definition (only one declaration).

Sample Code

// old
interface Class {
	method(): void;
	property: number;
}

declare var Class: {
	prototype: Class;
	new(arg: string): Class;
	staticMethod(): void;
}

//new
declare class Class {
	method(): void;
	property: number;
	constructor(arg: string);
	static staticMethod(): void;
}

Documentation Link

No response

[andrewbranch]

since the class is known to be a class

Which ones specifically are known to be classes?

(text version)

❯ node
Welcome to Node.js v20.3.1.
Type ".help" for more information.
> Number
[Function: Number]
> class Foo {}
undefined
> Foo
[class Foo]
> Buffer
[Function: Buffer] {
  poolSize: 8192,
  from: [Function: from],
  copyBytesFrom: [Function: copyBytesFrom],
  of: [Function: of],
  alloc: [Function: alloc],
  allocUnsafe: [Function: allocUnsafe],
  allocUnsafeSlow: [Function: allocUnsafeSlow],
  isBuffer: [Function: isBuffer],
  compare: [Function: compare],
  isEncoding: [Function: isEncoding],
  concat: [Function: concat],
  byteLength: [Function: byteLength],
  [Symbol(kIsEncodingSymbol)]: [Function: isEncoding]
}

More importantly, this pattern is super important for some weird compatibility hacks implemented in @types/node (DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped#59905)

[dr-vortex]

@andrewbranch I was thinking more in the DOM lib, since it doesn't share many types with node.

[andrewbranch]

It increasingly does. And anyway, they look the same: