Add support for URI style import

Search Terms

browser es module import url

Suggestion

Related issues: #28985, #19942

In browser and deno, import from a "package" is different from the node style.

// it's valid in browser but not in TypeScript
import lodash from "https://unpkg.com/lodash-es@4.17.15/lodash.js";

// it's valid in deno but not in TypeScript
import { serve } from "https://deno.land/std@v0.24.0/http/server.ts";

Currently there is no way to let TypeScript automatically map the URI to another place like @types/* or $DENO_DIR/deps/https/deno.land/*

The current path can map a simple pattern of import module specifier to another place, but in the URI style import, a more flexible way to map the URI is required.

Proposal

(maybe add a new moduleResolution: browser)
Add a new uriPaths that allows to map from a RegExp to a local path. It will NOT effect the emitted code. Just a way to find the type definition for those URIs.

I'm willing to implement this feature but I'm not sure if TypeScript will accept this.

Use Cases

For TypeScript to find definition file for imports like https://unpkg.com/lodash

Examples

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "uriPaths": {
      "https://unpkg.com/(.+?)@.+?/.+": "./node_modules/@types/$1",
      "https://deno.land/(.+?)@v.+?/(.+?)/(.+)": "$DENO_DIR/deps/https/deno.land/$1/$2/$3",
      "std:(.+)": "./node_modules/builtin-module-types/$1"
    }
  }
}

This rule map https://unpkg.com/lodash-es@4.17.15/lodash.js to @types/lodash-es

Map https://deno.land/std@v0.24.0/http/server.ts to $DENO_DIR/deps/https/deno.land/std/http/server.ts.

$DENO_DIR is an environment variable.
By default, on Windows, it's ~\AppData\Local\deno\deps\https\deno.land\std\http\server.ts.
By default on Linux, it is ~/.deno/deps/https/deno.land/std/http/server.ts.

Checklist

My suggestion meets these guidelines:

• This wouldn't be a breaking change in existing TypeScript/JavaScript code
• This wouldn't change the runtime behavior of existing JavaScript code
• This could be implemented without emitting different JS based on the types of the expressions
• This isn't a runtime feature (e.g. library functionality, non-ECMAScript syntax with JavaScript output, etc.)
• This feature would agree with the rest of TypeScript's Design Goals.

Start by reviewing related issues #28985 and #19942, then examine how the proposed uriPaths and browser or Deno module resolution would fit the compiler's existing path mapping. Define the accepted mapping behavior, environment-variable handling, and non-emitting resolution semantics; done requires an agreed design and corresponding coverage for the URI examples.