support for project references?

[JasonKleban]

Issue description

On the latest ts-node-dev, it seems to behave akin to tsc --watch -p . because I get errors about project reference imported modules not being found. Is there a way to have it operate akin to tsc --build --watch instead so that project references are supported? I don't see any mention of it in the docs or issues. Thanks!

Context

OS version (is it docker or host?), ts-node-dev version

Windows 10, tsnd 1.1.1

[wclr]

Did you try to run with --files flag?

[JasonKleban]

https://github.com/TypeStrong/ts-node#help-my-types-are-missing

TypeScript Node does not use files, include or exclude, by default. ... If you must use files, include, or exclude, enable --files flags

So I tried tsnd --files -- ./src but it doesn't seem to make any difference. My .tsconfigs don't use files: [] at all anyway.

ts-node's support for --build is unclear to me. I found these old issues, but it feels like they might just be stale at this point:

• Use ts-node with TypeScript incremental build TypeStrong/ts-node#817 open issue about --incremental support
• Use ts-node with TypeScript incremental build TypeStrong/ts-node#817 (comment) 2019 call for PRs, but unfortunately lacking any guidance or outline of a recommended direction.
• Use ts-node with TypeScript incremental build TypeStrong/ts-node#817 (comment) confusing 2019 comment about there being support for --incremental though this still isn't documented
• Incremental compiler support TypeStrong/ts-node#895 ts-node supposed support for --incremental (??), though this doesn't appear to be documented and I haven't gotten it to work
• Document --incremental and composite project APIs microsoft/TypeScript#31849 about documenting the tsc api and some confusion about --incremental vs --build
• Add sample for incremental compiling and solution builder microsoft/TypeScript-wiki#225 sleeper PR of documentation, with possible use of unstable/abandoned tsc API

I'm gathering that there's an important difference - incremental api even applicable within a single project, whereas --build adds to that the following of project references.

[wclr]

Does running with ts-node work?

[JasonKleban]

I don't think so. I guess I'm just looking for clarification on what can be expected to work these days. Perhaps there's a flag that you or others are yourselves using successfully that I'm missing. Or you perhaps have a nuanced understanding of why this can't work, or an outline of particularly what change in ts-node or tsc's api would have to happen before this usecase can be supported.

[wclr]

because I get errors about project reference

I even didn't see how your errors look like.

[JasonKleban]

The errors are the same as when I (incorrectly) try tsc --project . instead of tsc --build. It complains of not being able to find modules that are project references.

error TS2307: Cannot find module 'host-common' or its corresponding type declarations.

1 import { foo as fooCommon } from "host-common";

[wclr]

I'm not sure why tsc can not see this package types

[JasonKleban]

Do you mean that you expect this to work, and that it might just be something configured incorrectly with my project? Or are you saying that you don't know why tsc requires --build mode to understand project references? (I don't know that either, but I've seen hints in documentation that it is for backward compatibility with older typescript projects)

[wclr]

There is something with your project configuration I believe. You may try to make a simple repro example.

[Aveyder]

For those facing the same problem, this is primarily related to ts-node see TypeStrong/ts-node#897 (looks like it doesn't support tsc -b flag at the moment). In the mentioned issue some workarounds can be found:

1. Using concurrently with tsc -b -w & nodemon
   ts-node with project references in a lerna monorepo TypeStrong/ts-node#897 (comment)
2. Using tsc-watch & node
   ts-node with project references in a lerna monorepo TypeStrong/ts-node#897 (comment)