microsoft / microsoft/TypeScript
abstract type guard does not narrow when keyed with a unique symbol
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Description
### 🔎 Search Terms
abstract type guard symbol
### 🕗 Version & Regression Information
- This is the behavior in every version I tried, and I reviewed the FAQ for entries about abstract type guard
### ⏯ Playground Link
https://www.typescriptlang.org/play/?ts=6.0.0-dev.20250810&ssl=28&ssc=2&pln=1&pc=1#code/FAYw9gdgzgLgBASygIQIYCc4F44GUCeAtgEZgA2AFAERJrpUCUA3MMKsbOqiPCGalChwAYmDBwA3sDgy47Tt3i0MFBgC44MABZJEQui1lyOMLjzgBtZegC6qjdt26DrI4QCm2sABN7cAG5gCN6S0kayCABmcBSOUFYoGHYMDKHh6XAA9JlwACo6QlBaYACuZCEQYPDE7nIQcO7o6GDoYRmycQB0xBgAsp7Fvsxt4QC+DWRQtVExXdaqqVLtRl096P1eQ4YZoyO7u6D8gnB0DQAeMO4Q3kKi4kuyYP6N6MHTieh+cXonGGkZ6E8JXQ9VMJXc2xkByMTxeb0s1mSDgKP1OD3SgJgwNB6HBkLg0Nkaw2gz8gWCkn2QA
### 💻 Code
```ts
const isBar = Symbol("isBar");
abstract class Foo {
abstract isBar(): this is Bar;
abstract [isBar](): this is Bar;
method(): void {
if (this[isBar]()) {
// This should not be an error, it should work the same as .isBar()
this.barMethod();
} else if (this.isBar()) {
this.barMethod();
}
}
}
class Bar extends Foo {
override isBar(): this is Bar {
return true;
}
override [isBar](): this is Bar {
return true;
}
barMethod(): void {}
}
```
### 🙁 Actual behavior
TS reports an error:
> `Property 'barMethod' does not exist on type 'Foo'. Did you mean 'method'?(2551)`
### 🙂 Expected behavior
No error should happen here, the type guard should work the same as the non-symbol version of the method.
### Additional information about the issue
_No response_
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start with the linked TypeScript Playground and reproduce the difference between the unique-symbol call and the named isBar() call in Foo.method(). Trace the type narrowing behavior for both abstract type guards, then verify that the symbol-keyed call narrows this to Bar and no longer reports the barMethod error.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- typescript
- Domain
- compilers
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 42/100