How to use Typescript with native ES6 Promises
JavascriptTypescriptEs6 PromiseJavascript Problem Overview
I'm a complete beginner to Typescript and am wondering if it's possible to use ES6 promises in Typescript and what I would have to do to get them to work. I'm running node 0.11.14 and am getting an error during compilation "Cannot find name 'Promise'"
Javascript Solutions
Solution 1 - Javascript
The current lib.d.ts doesn't have promises in it defined so you need a extra definition file for it that is why you are getting compilation errors.
You could for example use (like @elclanrs says) use the es6-promise package with the definition file from DefinitelyTyped: es6-promise definition
You can then use it like this:
var p = new Promise<string>((resolve, reject) => {
resolve('a string');
});
edit You can use it without a definition when targeting ES6 (with the TypeScript compiler) - Note you still require the Promise to exists in the runtime ofcourse (so it won't work in old browsers :))
Add/Edit the following to your tsconfig.json
:
"compilerOptions": {
"target": "ES6"
}
edit 2 When TypeScript 2.0 will come out things will change a bit (though above still works) but definition files can be installed directly with npm like below:
npm install --save @types/es6-promise
- source
edit3 Updating answer with more info for using the types.
Create a package.json
file with only { }
as the content (if you don't have a package.json already.
Call npm install --save @types/es6-promise
and tsc --init
. The first npm install command will change your package.json
to include the es6-promise as a dependency. tsc --init will create a tsconfig.json
file for you.
You can now use the promise in your typescript file var x: Promise<any>;
.
Execute tsc -p .
to compile your project. You should have no errors.
Solution 2 - Javascript
Alternative #1
Use the target
and lib
compiler options to compile directly to es5
without needing to install the es6-shim
. (Tested with TypeScript 2.1.4
).
In the lib section, use either es2016
or es2015.promise
.
// tsconfig.json
{
"compilerOptions": {
"target": "es5",
"lib": [
"es2015.promise",
"dom"
]
},
"include": [
"src/**/*.ts"
],
"exclude": [
"node_modules"
]
}
Alternative #2
Use NPM to install the es6-shim
from the types organization.
npm install @types/es6-shim --save-dev
Alternative #3
Before TypeScript 2.0, use typings to install the es6-shim
globally from DefinitelyTyped.
npm install typings --global --save-dev
typings install dt~es6-shim --global --save-dev
The typings
option uses npm
to install typings
globally and then uses typings
to install the shim. The dt~
prefix means to download the shim from DefinitelyTyped. The --global
option means that the shim's types will be available throughout the project.
See also
https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/issues/7788 - Cannot find name 'Promise' & Cannot find name 'require'
Solution 3 - Javascript
As of TypeScript 2.0 you can include typings for native promises by including the following in your tsconfig.json
"compilerOptions": {
"lib": ["es5", "es2015.promise"]
}
This will include the promise declarations that comes with TypeScript without having to set the target to ES6.
Solution 4 - Javascript
If you use node.js 0.12 or above / typescript 1.4 or above, just add compiler options like:
tsc a.ts --target es6 --module commonjs
More info: https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/Compiler-Options
If you use tsconfig.json
, then like this:
{
"compilerOptions": {
"module": "commonjs",
"target": "es6"
}
}
More info: https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/tsconfig.json
Solution 5 - Javascript
This the most recent way to do this, the above answer is outdated:
typings install --global es6-promise
Solution 6 - Javascript
Using native ES6 Promises with Typescript in Visual Studio 2015 + Node.js tools 1.2
No npm install required as ES6 Promises is native.
Node.js project -> Properties -> Typescript Build tab ECMAScript version = ECMAScript6
import http = require('http');
import fs = require('fs');
function findFolderAsync(directory : string): Promise<string> {
let p = new Promise<string>(function (resolve, reject) {
fs.stat(directory, function (err, stats) {
//Check if error defined and the error code is "not exists"
if (err && err.code === "ENOENT") {
reject("Directory does not exist");
}
else {
resolve("Directory exists");
}
});
});
return p;
}
findFolderAsync("myFolder").then(
function (msg : string) {
console.log("Promise resolved as " + msg);
},
function (msg : string) {
console.log("Promise rejected as " + msg);
}
);
Solution 7 - Javascript
A. If using "target": "es5"
and TypeScript version below 2.0:
typings install es6-promise --save --global --source dt
B. If using "target": "es5"
and TypeScript version 2.0 or higer:
"compilerOptions": {
"lib": ["es5", "es2015.promise"]
}
C. If using "target": "es6"
, there's no need to do anything.
Solution 8 - Javascript
I had to downgrade @types/core-js
to 9.36 to get it to work with "target": "es5"
set in my tsconfig.
"@types/core-js": "0.9.36",
Solution 9 - Javascript
typeorm problems in tsconfig.json, add the following property : "strictPropertyInitialization": false