I am new to typeScript and I want to be able to use a 3rd party library that does not have definition file. Does typescript allow you to use the external libraries?

The library i am trying to use is filesaver.js .js/

Do I need to create a definition file for this library?

I just need someone to point me in the right direction.

thanks so much!

I am new to typeScript and I want to be able to use a 3rd party library that does not have definition file. Does typescript allow you to use the external libraries?

The library i am trying to use is filesaver.js https://github./eligrey/FileSaver.js/

Do I need to create a definition file for this library?

I just need someone to point me in the right direction.

thanks so much!

• javascript
• typescript

• On this documentation of typescript you can check on the section named "Working with Other JavaScript Libraries" To find the solution you seek. Hope this helps. – Luanf Commented Oct 2, 2014 at 11:46

3 Answers 3

Does typescript allow you to use the external libraries?

Very easily. You just need to tell typescript about it. lets look at your case.

The library i am trying to use is filesaver.js

Simple just one function saveAs. The simplest declaration:

declare var saveAs:any; 

and now the following will pile just fine:

declare var saveAs:any; 
var blob = new Blob(["Hello, world!"], {type: "text/plain;charset=utf-8"});
saveAs(blob, "hello world.txt");

To write more advanced declrations take a look at: https://github./Microsoft/TypeScript-Handbook/blob/master/pages/declaration%20files/Introduction.md

Note

A more exact but possibly overly restrictive sample :

declare function saveAs(data:Blob , filename:string );
var blob = new Blob(["Hello, world!"], {type: "text/plain;charset=utf-8"});
saveAs(blob, "hello world.txt");

Another way to call external libraries in typescript without piling error is to use the window"myglobalfunction" notation.

For example:

jQuery call: window["$"]
fileSaver.js : window["saveAs"](blob, "hello world.txt");

etc...

These calls inside typescript don't generate pilation errors, but they are full functioning ways to call the same standard functions.

Out of the pragmatic but perhaps not quite kosher categoy, a less elegant and non-TypeScript approach would be to simply declare but not assign the variable/function you want to use with TypeScript. This does not give you Intellisense, but it does allow you to very quickly use the library without creating any declarations or roll your own d.ts file.

For instance, here's an Angular example to provide OidcTokenManager as a constant on an app.core module:

((): void => {
    angular
        .module('app.core')
        .constant('OidcTokenManager', OidcTokenManager);

})();

This will generate a TS2304 - Cannot find name 'OidcTokenManager' TypeScript error.

However, by simply declaring OidcTokenManager as of type any, TypeScript will let you pass:

((): void => {    
    let OidcTokenManager: any;   

    angular
        .module('app.core')
        .constant('OidcTokenManager', OidcTokenManager);

})();