microsoft / microsoft/TypeScript
Add a flag to error when an uninitialized function is called
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Description
### 🔍 Search Terms
uninitialized function - uninitialized - uninitialized function call
### ✅ Viability Checklist
- [x] This wouldn't be a breaking change in existing TypeScript/JavaScript code
- [x] This wouldn't change the runtime behavior of existing JavaScript code
- [x] This could be implemented without emitting different JS based on the types of the expressions
- [x] This isn't a runtime feature (e.g. library functionality, non-ECMAScript syntax with JavaScript output, new syntax sugar for JS, etc.)
- [x] This isn't a request to add a new utility type: https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/No-New-Utility-Types
- [x] This feature would agree with the rest of our Design Goals: https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/TypeScript-Design-Goals
### ⭐ Suggestion
This is a request to add a new configuration flag that makes typescript error when an uninitialized **function** is called within the same scope
[This](https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/issues/56827#issuecomment-1863251126) is a comment made by @RyanCavanaugh on a similar topic (using an uninitialized variable) for why an error is not thrown by typescript in the case of using an uninitialized variable (not calling a function)
There are more comments on this topic
### But the same argument of why function parameters assignment is contra-variant applies to why throw an error when an uninitialized function is called. Typescript doesn't know if it will surely error but it prevents it anyway
### 📃 Motivating Example
The below is a case of a runtime error thrown by calling an uninitialized variable which typescript didn't prevent
https://www.typescriptlang.org/play/?#code/GYVwdgxgLglg9mABAMXBAjIgFKSAubASgF4A+ANzhgBNCBvAKEWcVwi0MQHovEoALGAGc+-AE5wA7iICGiMeFgBbAKaIVYiWKYsxKqCDFI65GQBsQKggCYAvg3sM2sBIgDm+gHIrJqSEURGFnl9QyQORDJECAQhODMVADozODcsAANvXzR0wgcGBh4YsCEoQNMLFVtIlDR0LDAfPwhOHnUADwAHFWgVakQAIxV+GXJ4MQIBYVEJaUQ5KABPbqEIMRhOso0tRE69chUwWDA3eUUYVXVNODEhBmb6jjI6REbsyAjbVt5wFS6eqB9QbDUbjSaCETUOAqIRgADkZQEs3mfGWMLWGy21zEiEkggg-EQCRk1BEUDgKIURwuam2NwKxVKryaaBqHigWWaHCAA
### 💻 Use Cases
1. What do you want to use this for? **Preventing runtime errors**
2. What shortcomings exist with current approaches? **none**
3. What workarounds are you using in the meantime?
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by reviewing the motivating TypeScript Playground example and the linked discussion in issue #56827 about uninitialized variables. Define what the new configuration flag should diagnose for same-scope uninitialized function calls, and consider the stated constraints that it must not change emitted JavaScript or existing runtime 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
- 25/100