Importing TypeScript modules

Question

I am just trying to get my head around TypeScript,

Say I have a module animals.ts like this:

export module Animals {

    export interfa         


        

Answer 1

When you are using external modules each file is a module. So declaring a local internal module within a file e.g. export module Animals { leads to unnecessary double indirection.

I would code animals.ts as :

export interface Animal {
    name(): void;
}

export class Elephant implements Animal {

    constructor() {

    } 

    public name() {
        console.log("Elephant");
    }
}

export class Horse implements Animal {

    constructor() {

    }

    public name() {
        console.log("Horse");
    }
}

And then use it as :

import animals = require("animals")

module AnimalPanel {

    var animal = new animals.Elephant();
    animal.name();
}

PS: a video on this subject of internal / external typescript modules : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDrWLMUY0R0&hd=1

Answer 2

You can use 2 types of syntaxes export/import:

1. (AMD style) Require syntax which supported in ES5:

   var animals = require("animals");

2. Use import style which started suppurts from ES6:

   import { Elephant, Horse } from "animals";

TypeScript supports export = to model the traditional CommonJS and AMD workflow. So both variants will works and I suggest to use 2nd because it more powerful mechanism.

More details about it can be found on official the TypeScript Modules web page.