Re-exports are a powerful feature in TypeScript that allow you to export items from one module that were originally imported from another module. This concept is crucial for organizing large codebases and creating clean, modular structures.
Re-exports provide a way to create a single entry point for related functionality, simplifying imports for consumers of your code. They're particularly useful when you want to:
The basic syntax for re-exporting in TypeScript uses the export
keyword combined with from
:
export { SomeItem } from './some-module';
Re-exports are often used to create an index file that aggregates exports from multiple modules:
// index.ts
export { User } from './user';
export { Product } from './product';
export { Order } from './order';
This allows consumers to import multiple items from a single source:
import { User, Product, Order } from './models';
You can rename exports during re-export, which is useful for avoiding naming conflicts or providing more context:
export { User as CustomerUser } from './user';
To re-export all items from a module, use the asterisk syntax:
export * from './module';
You can mix local exports with re-exports in the same file:
export { User } from './user';
export const API_VERSION = '1.0';
export function getApiUrl() {
return 'https://api.example.com';
}
While re-exports are powerful, they can make it harder to trace the origin of imported items. Use them judiciously and maintain clear documentation to ensure your codebase remains maintainable.
Re-exports work seamlessly with TypeScript compiler (tsc), preserving type information and enabling robust type checking across module boundaries.
Re-exports in TypeScript offer a flexible way to structure your modules and control how your code is exposed to other parts of your application. By mastering this feature, you can create more organized and maintainable TypeScript projects.