Decorators are an exciting feature in TypeScript that allow you to annotate and modify classes and members. Decorators provide a way to add both code logic and metadata to your classes.
In this post, we’ll explore some of the capabilities of decorators and see examples of how they can be used to extend TypeScript classes in useful ways.
What Are TypeScript Decorators?
Decorators leverage a familiar syntax that doesn’t introduce new concepts. They apply metadata or modify classes using the @expression syntax.
Some key facts about decorators:
- Decorators are functions that take a target, name and property descriptor
- Can be declared on classes, methods, properties, parameters and accessors
- Allow logic to be added to classes non-intrusively
- Enable type safety, logging, validation and other use cases
Since decorators are still experimental, you need to enable them in your TS config:
Let’s look at decorators in action through some common examples.
Logging with Decorators
One popular use case is using decorators for logging. We can create a reusable @log decorator:
The @log decorator automatically logs any time the add method is called.
Validating Data with Decorators
Decorators are also useful for enforcing validation and type safety:
Here the @validate decorator ensures the name method is called properly.
Mixins with Decorators
Another common decorator usage is for mixins. Mixins allow reusable functionality to be shared between classes:
The @mixins decorator copies methods from the Validatable class into the User class.
Final Thoughts
Decorators unlock a lot of useful possibilities in TypeScript. They allow metadata and logic to be added non-intrusively. Some key benefits are better code reuse, less duplication, and stronger type safety. But decorators should be used carefully as they can make code harder to follow when overused.
Overall, decorators enable cleaner code by reducing side effect logic spread across classes. Give them a try in your next TypeScript project!
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