Spaces:
Running
Running
# Strict Event Emitter | |
A type-safe implementation of `EventEmitter` for browser and Node.js. | |
## Motivation | |
Despite event emitters potentially accepting any runtime value, defining a strict event contract is crucial when developing complex event-driven architectures. Unfortunately, the native type definitions for Node's `EventEmitter` annotate event names as `string`, which forbids any stricter type validation. | |
```js | |
// index.js | |
const emitter = new EventEmitter() | |
// Let's say our application expects a "ping" | |
// event with the number payload. | |
emitter.on('ping', (n: number) => {}) | |
// We can, however, emit a different event by mistake. | |
emitter.emit('pong', 1) | |
// Or even the correct event with the wrong data. | |
emitter.emit('ping', 'wait, not a number') | |
``` | |
The purpose of this library is to provide an `EventEmitter` instance that can accept a generic describing the expected events contract. | |
```ts | |
import { Emitter } from 'strict-event-emitter' | |
// Define a strict events contract where keys | |
// represent event names and values represent | |
// the list of arguments expected in ".emit()". | |
type Events = { | |
ping: [number] | |
} | |
const emitter = new Emitter<Events>() | |
emitter.addListener('ping', (n) => { | |
// "n" argument type is inferred as "number'. | |
}) | |
emitter.emit('ping', 10) // OK | |
emitter.emit('unknown', 10) // TypeError (invalid event name) | |
emitter.emit('ping', 'wait, not a number') // TypeError (invalid data) | |
``` | |
This library is also a custom `EventEmitter` implementation, which makes it compatible with other environments, like browsers or React Native. | |
## Getting started | |
### Install | |
```bash | |
npm install strict-event-emitter | |
``` | |
### Use | |
```ts | |
import { Emitter } from 'strict-event-emitter' | |
// 1. Define an interface that describes your events. | |
// Set event names as the keys, and their expected payloads as values. | |
interface Events { | |
connect: [id: string] | |
disconnect: [id: string] | |
} | |
// 2. Create a strict emitter and pass the previously defined "Events" | |
// as its first generic argument. | |
const emitter = new Emitter<Events>() | |
// 3. Use the "emitter" the same way you'd use the regular "EventEmitter" instance. | |
emitter.addListener('connect', (id) => {}) | |
emitter.emit('connect', 'abc-123') | |
``` | |
## License | |
MIT | |