unionix

A type-safe TypeScript library for working with discriminated unions. unionix provides powerful pattern matching, type guards, and transformation utilities that make working with discriminated unions elegant and safe.

Features

• Type-Safe Pattern Matching: Exhaustive pattern matching with compile-time guarantees
• Dynamic Type Guards: Auto-generated type guards (is{Type}) for each union variant
• Transformation Utilities: Map, filter, and transform union values with full type safety
• Zero Runtime Dependencies: Lightweight and efficient
• Comprehensive TypeScript Support: Full IntelliSense and type inference

Installation

npm install unionix

yarn add unionix

pnpm add unionix

Quick Start

import { create } from 'unionix';

// Define your discriminated union types
interface AUnion {
  readonly type: 'AType';
  readonly data: string;
}

interface BUnion {
  readonly type: 'BType';
  readonly data: number;
}

type MyUnion = AUnion | BUnion;

// Create helpers for your union
const myUnions = create<MyUnion>();

// Use type guards
const exampleA: MyUnion = { type: 'AType', data: 'Hello' };

if (myUnions.isAType(exampleA)) {
  // exampleA is narrowed to AUnion
  console.log(exampleA.data.toUpperCase()); // "HELLO"
}

// Transform with map
const updated = myUnions.map(exampleA, {
  AType: (a) => ({ ...a, data: a.data.toUpperCase() })
});

// Pattern matching with when
const result = myUnions.when(exampleA, {
  AType: (a) => a.data.length > 2,
  BType: (b) => b.data > 10
});

Example Gallery

Explore additional real-world scenarios in the example/ directory:

• example/fetch-status.ts shows handling async fetch lifecycles
• example/dom-handler.ts drives UI commands from DOM-style events
• example/pokemon.ts manages a typed Pokemon roster
• example/order-handler.ts walks through order fulfillment states
• example/layout-model.ts assembles nested UI components from JSON content

Run any example with npx ts-node <path-to-example>.

API Reference

create<Union>()

Creates a helper object with all utility methods for your discriminated union type.

const helpers = create<MyUnion>();

Type Guards

Automatically generated type guards for each variant in your union. The naming convention is is{CapitalizedType}.

if (helpers.isAType(value)) {
  // value is narrowed to AUnion type
  console.log(value.data);
}

if (helpers.isBType(value)) {
  // value is narrowed to BUnion type
  console.log(value.data);
}

map(value, handlers)

Maps over a union value, applying transformations only to specified variants. Unhandled variants are returned unchanged.

Parameters:

• value: The union value to transform
• handlers: Partial object with transformation functions for specific types

Returns: The same union type with transformations applied

const updated = helpers.map(value, {
  AType: (a) => ({ ...a, data: a.data.toUpperCase() }),
  BType: (b) => ({ ...b, data: b.data * 2 })
});

// Only transform specific types
const result = helpers.map(bValue, {
  AType: (a) => ({ ...a, data: 'updated' })
  // BType not handled, returned as-is
});

transform(value, handlers)

Transforms a union value, allowing variants to be converted into other variants in the same union. Unhandled variants are returned unchanged.

Parameters:

• value: The union value to transform
• handlers: Partial object with transformation functions that can return any union variant

Returns: The transformed union value

const result = helpers.transform(value, {
  AType: (a) => ({ type: 'BType', data: a.data.length }),
  BType: (b) => ({ type: 'AType', data: b.data.toString() })
});

when(value, handlers)

Exhaustive pattern matching with a consistent return type. All variants must be handled.

Parameters:

• value: The union value to match
• handlers: Exhaustive object with handlers for all union types

Returns: The result of applying the matched handler

const result = helpers.when(value, {
  AType: (a) => a.data.length,
  BType: (b) => b.data
}); // Returns number

const isValid = helpers.when(value, {
  AType: (a) => a.data.length > 0,
  BType: (b) => b.data > 0
}); // Returns boolean

match(value, handlers)

Similar to when, but emphasizes type transformation. Useful for transforming unions to different types.

Parameters:

• value: The union value to match
• handlers: Exhaustive object with transformation functions

Returns: Transformed result

const result = helpers.match(value, {
  AType: (a) => ({ status: 'text', content: a.data }),
  BType: (b) => ({ status: 'number', content: b.data.toString() })
});

filter(values, types)

Filters an array of union values, keeping only specified variant types.

Parameters:

• values: Array of union values
• types: Single type or array of types to keep

Returns: Filtered array containing only the specified variant types

const values: MyUnion[] = [
  { type: 'AType', data: 'hello' },
  { type: 'BType', data: 5 },
  { type: 'AType', data: 'world' },
  { type: 'BType', data: 15 }
];

// Filter single type
const onlyATypes = helpers.filter(values, 'AType');
// Result: [{ type: 'AType', data: 'hello' }, { type: 'AType', data: 'world' }]

// Filter multiple types
const aAndB = helpers.filter(values, ['AType', 'BType']);
// Result: all AType and BType values

filterBy(values, predicates)

Filters an array of union values with custom predicates for each type.

Parameters:

• values: Array of union values
• predicates: Object mapping variant types to filter predicates

Returns: Filtered array containing only matching variants

const filtered = helpers.filterBy(values, {
  BType: (b) => b.data > 10
});
// Result: [{ type: 'BType', data: 15 }]

// Filter multiple types with different conditions
const multiFiltered = helpers.filterBy(values, {
  AType: (a) => a.data.length > 5,
  BType: (b) => b.data > 10
});

fold(value, handlers, defaultHandler)

Pattern matching with optional handlers and a default case.

Parameters:

• value: The union value
• handlers: Partial object with handlers for specific types
• defaultHandler: Handler for unhandled variants

Returns: Result from the matched or default handler

const result = helpers.fold(
  value,
  {
    AType: (a) => a.data.length,
    BType: (b) => b.data
  },
  () => 0 // default for unhandled types
);

partition(values)

Partitions an array of unions into groups by variant type.

Parameters:

• values: Array of union values

Returns: Object with discriminator values as keys and arrays of matching variants as values

const partitioned = helpers.partition(values);
// Result: { AType: [...], BType: [...] }

const aTypes = partitioned.AType; // Array<AUnion>
const bTypes = partitioned.BType; // Array<BUnion>

getType(value)

Gets the discriminator value from a union instance.

Parameters:

• value: The union value

Returns: The discriminator value

const type = helpers.getType(value); // 'AType' | 'BType'

constructor(type)

Creates a type-safe constructor function for a specific variant.

Parameters:

• type: The discriminator value

Returns: Constructor function for that variant

const createA = helpers.constructor('AType');
const aValue = createA({ data: 'hello' });
// Result: { type: 'AType', data: 'hello' }

const createB = helpers.constructor('BType');
const bValue = createB({ data: 42 });
// Result: { type: 'BType', data: 42 }

Real-World Examples

State Management

import { create } from 'unionix';

interface LoadingState {
  readonly type: 'loading';
  readonly progress: number;
}

interface SuccessState {
  readonly type: 'success';
  readonly data: string;
}

interface ErrorState {
  readonly type: 'error';
  readonly message: string;
}

type AppState = LoadingState | SuccessState | ErrorState;

const stateHelpers = create<AppState>();

// State transitions
function updateState(state: AppState): AppState {
  return stateHelpers.map(state, {
    loading: (s) => ({ ...s, progress: Math.min(s.progress + 10, 100) })
  });
}

// Render based on state
function render(state: AppState): string {
  return stateHelpers.when(state, {
    loading: (s) => `Loading... ${s.progress}%`,
    success: (s) => `Success: ${s.data}`,
    error: (e) => `Error: ${e.message}`
  });
}

// Check if state is complete
const isComplete = (state: AppState): boolean => {
  return stateHelpers.match(state, {
    loading: () => false,
    success: () => true,
    error: () => true
  });
};

Event Handling

interface ClickEvent {
  readonly type: 'click';
  readonly x: number;
  readonly y: number;
}

interface KeyEvent {
  readonly type: 'keypress';
  readonly key: string;
}

interface ScrollEvent {
  readonly type: 'scroll';
  readonly position: number;
}

type UIEvent = ClickEvent | KeyEvent | ScrollEvent;

const eventHelpers = create<UIEvent>();

function handleEvents(events: UIEvent[]): void {
  // Filter only click and keypress events
  const interactiveEvents = eventHelpers.filterBy(events, {
    click: () => true,
    keypress: (e) => e.key === 'Enter'
  });

  // Handle each event type
  interactiveEvents.forEach((event) => {
    eventHelpers.when(event, {
      click: (e) => console.log(`Clicked at (${e.x}, ${e.y})`),
      keypress: (e) => console.log(`Key pressed: ${e.key}`),
      scroll: (e) => console.log(`Scrolled to: ${e.position}`)
    });
  });
}

// Partition events by type
function analyzeEvents(events: UIEvent[]) {
  const byType = eventHelpers.partition(events);

  return {
    clickCount: byType.click?.length ?? 0,
    keypressCount: byType.keypress?.length ?? 0,
    scrollCount: byType.scroll?.length ?? 0
  };
}

API Response Handling

interface SuccessResponse<T> {
  readonly type: 'success';
  readonly data: T;
  readonly timestamp: number;
}

interface ErrorResponse {
  readonly type: 'error';
  readonly code: number;
  readonly message: string;
}

interface PendingResponse {
  readonly type: 'pending';
}

type ApiResponse<T> = SuccessResponse<T> | ErrorResponse | PendingResponse;

const responseHelpers = create<ApiResponse<any>>();

// Extract data or provide default
function getDataOrDefault<T>(response: ApiResponse<T>, defaultValue: T): T {
  return responseHelpers.fold(
    response,
    {
      success: (r) => r.data
    },
    () => defaultValue
  );
}

// Map response to UI state
function toUIState<T>(response: ApiResponse<T>) {
  return responseHelpers.match(response, {
    success: (r) => ({ status: 'loaded', content: r.data }),
    error: (r) => ({ status: 'error', content: r.message }),
    pending: () => ({ status: 'loading', content: null })
  });
}

Best Practices

1. Use readonly for Immutability

Always define your discriminated unions with readonly properties to prevent accidental mutations:

interface MyType {
  readonly type: 'myType';
  readonly data: string;
}

2. Prefer when for Exhaustive Matching

Use when when you need to handle all cases to ensure compile-time exhaustiveness checking:

// Compiler ensures all cases are handled
const result = helpers.when(value, {
  AType: (a) => handleA(a),
  BType: (b) => handleB(b)
});

3. Use fold for Partial Matching

Use fold when you only care about specific types and have a sensible default:

const result = helpers.fold(
  value,
  {
    AType: (a) => specificHandling(a)
  },
  (v) => defaultHandling(v)
);

4. Leverage Type Narrowing

Use type guards in conditionals to leverage TypeScript's type narrowing:

if (helpers.isAType(value)) {
  // Full autocomplete for AType properties
  console.log(value.data);
}

TypeScript Configuration

For best results, ensure your tsconfig.json includes:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "strict": true,
    "strictNullChecks": true,
    "noImplicitAny": true
  }
}

Claude Code Skill

A Claude Code skill is included in the skill/ directory. This provides AI-assisted help when working with unionix and discriminated unions.

To use the skill, copy the skill/ directory to your Claude Code skills folder (~/.claude/skills/unionix).

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Author

Created for type-safe discriminated union handling in TypeScript projects.