Take control of unexpected data at runtime with TypeScript

The article delves into leveraging TypeScript type definitions for enhancing runtime safety, focusing on libraries like runtypes and io-ts, which provide mechanisms for managing type-related runtime exceptions. It highlights the TypeScript compiler's role in ensuring data consistency through compile-time checks, while also acknowledging that runtime exceptions, inherent to JavaScript, can still occur. The text illustrates the use of runtypes for validating data structures during runtime, emphasizing their utility in preventing application errors due to unexpected data. Additionally, it explores functional programming concepts within the TypeScript ecosystem, particularly through the use of io-ts and fp-ts, offering a structured approach to handling errors as data rather than through exceptions, thereby improving application reliability and maintainability. The piece concludes by suggesting that the choice between these tools should be guided by the specific needs of the application, such as whether it is a simple script or a long-running application that can benefit from error recovery strategies.