microsoft / microsoft/TypeScript

Allow "T extends enum" generic constraint

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Description

TypeScript has a discrete enum type that allows various compile-time checks and constraints to be enforced when using such types. It would be extremely useful to allow generic constraints to be limited to enum types - currently the only way to do this is via T extends string | number which neither conveys the intent of the programmer, nor imposes the requisite type enforcement.

export enum StandardSortOrder {
    Default,
    Most,
    Least
}

export enum AlternativeSortOrder {
    Default,
    High,
    Medium,
    Low
}

export interface IThingThatUsesASortOrder<T extends enum> { // doesn't compile
    sortOrder: T;
}

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First steps

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  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the issue's enum examples and clarify the intended semantics of an T extends enum constraint, including which enum types should be accepted and what type enforcement means. No source file, entry point, or test is named, so the work requires locating the compiler's generic-constraint handling and adding coverage for the proposed behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
typescript
Domain
compilers
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
30/100

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