What is nullthrows?
The nullthrows npm package is a utility that helps in asserting that a value is neither null nor undefined. If the value is null or undefined, it throws an error, otherwise, it returns the value. This is particularly useful in TypeScript or JavaScript projects where you want to ensure that values being used in your code are not null or undefined without repeatedly checking each one manually.
What are nullthrows's main functionalities?
Assertion of non-null values
This feature allows developers to assert that a variable (e.g., 'someNullableVariable') is not null or undefined. If the variable is null or undefined, the function throws an error with a custom message, helping in debugging and ensuring data integrity.
const nullthrows = require('nullthrows');
const value = nullthrows(someNullableVariable, 'someNullableVariable should not be null');
Other packages similar to nullthrows
assert
The 'assert' module in Node.js provides a simple set of assertion tests and can be used to ensure that a value meets certain conditions. Unlike 'nullthrows', which specifically checks for null or undefined, 'assert' can be used for a broader range of assertions, such as checking if a value is true or if two values are equal.
invariant
The 'invariant' package is similar to 'nullthrows' in that it throws an error if a condition is not met. However, 'invariant' is more flexible as it allows for any condition to be checked, not just non-null assertions. This makes 'invariant' more versatile compared to 'nullthrows', which is specifically focused on null or undefined values.