try-results

try-results is a minimal, functional, and tree-shakable Result library for TypeScript that prioritizes simplicity and serialization.

• 🔮 Simple, declarative API: Intuitive array destructuring with full type safety
• 🍃 Lightweight & Tree Shakable: Function-based design with zero dependencies
• ⚡ High Performance: Minimal overhead with just a 3-element array
• 🔍 Easy Serialization: Simple array format perfect for wire transmission
• 📦 Zero Dependencies: Standalone library ensuring ease of use in various environments
• 🔧 Functional Helpers: Powerful map, unwrap, and utility functions
• 🧵 Type Safe: Full TypeScript support with literal types and type guards

🌟 Motivation

Build a minimal, functional Result library that prioritizes simplicity and serialization. While libraries like ts-results and neverthrow offer robust features, they often come with bloated class hierarchies that can't be easily serialized. try-results provides a simpler alternative - combining minimal overhead, easy serialization for APIs and frameworks like React Router, and functional helpers while adhering to the KISS principle.

Key Features:

• Minimal Core: Just a 3-element array [boolean, E, T] with methods
• Easy Serialization: Perfect for APIs, Remix loaders, and network requests
• Array Destructuring: Intuitive [ok, error, value] pattern
• Tree Shakable: Import only what you need

⚖️ Alternatives

• ts-results
• neverthrow

📖 Usage

try-results provides a simple approach to error handling. Here's how to use it:

1. Creating Results

import { Ok, Err } from 'try-results';

const success = Ok(42);
const failure = Err('Something went wrong');

2. Working with Results

// Method-based approach
if (success.isOk()) {
	console.log(success.value); // 42
}

// Array destructuring approach
const [ok, error, value] = success;
if (ok) {
	console.log(value); // 42
}

// Direct unwrapping (throws on error)
const value = success.unwrap(); // 42

3. Safe Value Extraction

import { unwrapOr, unwrapErr } from 'try-results';

// Provide defaults
const value = unwrapOr(failure, 0); // 0

// Extract errors safely
const error = unwrapErr(failure); // 'Something went wrong'

4. Transforming Results

import { mapOk, mapErr } from 'try-results';

// Transform success values
const doubled = mapOk(success, x => x * 2); // Ok(84)

// Transform errors
const wrapped = mapErr(failure, e => `Error: ${e}`); // Err('Error: Something went wrong')

5. Wrapping Functions

import { t, tAsync } from 'try-results';

// Wrap synchronous functions
const result = t(() => JSON.parse('invalid')); // Err(SyntaxError)

// Wrap promises
const asyncResult = await tAsync(fetch('/api/data')); // Ok(Response) or Err(Error)

6. Serialization

import { serialize, deserialize } from 'try-results';

// Convert to wire format
const wireFormat = serialize(success); // [true, 42]

// Reconstruct from wire format
const reconstructed = deserialize(wireFormat); // Back to TResult

📚 API Reference

Core Functions

Ok<T, E>(value: T): OkResult<T, E>

Creates a successful result containing the given value.

const result = Ok(42);
console.log(result.unwrap()); // 42
console.log(result.isOk());   // true

Err<T, E>(error: E): ErrResult<T, E>

Creates an error result containing the given error.

const result = Err('Something went wrong');
console.log(result.isErr());  // true
console.log(result.error);    // 'Something went wrong'

Type Guards

isOk<T, E>(result: TResult<T, E>): result is OkResult<T, E>

Type guard to check if a result is successful.

if (isOk(result)) {
	// TypeScript knows result is OkResult here
	console.log(result.unwrap());
}

isErr<T, E>(result: TResult<T, E>): result is ErrResult<T, E>

Type guard to check if a result is an error.

if (isErr(result)) {
	// TypeScript knows result is ErrResult here
	console.log(result.error);
}

Unwrapping Functions

unwrap<T, E>(result: TResult<T, E>): T

Extracts the value from a result, throwing if it's an error.

try {
	const value = unwrap(success); // 42
} catch (error) {
	// Handle error
}

unwrapOk<T, E>(result: TResult<T, E>): T

Extracts the value from an Ok result, throwing if it's an error.

const value = unwrapOk(success); // 42

unwrapErr<T, E>(result: TResult<T, E>): E

Extracts the error from an Err result, throwing if it's successful.

const error = unwrapErr(failure); // 'Something went wrong'

unwrapOr<T, E>(result: TResult<T, E>, defaultValue: T): T

Extracts the value from a result, returning a default if it's an error.

const value = unwrapOr(failure, 0); // 0

unwrapOrNull<T, E>(result: TResult<T, E>): T | null

Extracts the value from a result, returning null if it's an error.

const value = unwrapOrNull(failure); // null

Transformation Functions

mapOk<T, E, U>(result: TResult<T, E>, mapFn: (value: T) => U): TResult<U, E>

Maps the value inside an Ok result using the provided function.

const doubled = mapOk(Ok(21), x => x * 2); // Ok(42)

mapErr<T, E, F>(result: TResult<T, E>, mapFn: (error: E) => F): TResult<T, F>

Maps the error inside an Err result using the provided function.

const wrapped = mapErr(Err(404), code => `HTTP ${code}`); // Err('HTTP 404')

Function Wrappers

t<T, Args extends any[]>(fn: (...args: Args) => T, ...args: Args): TResult<T, unknown>

Wraps a synchronous function call in a Result.

const result = t(() => JSON.parse('invalid')); // Err(SyntaxError)
const safeDivide = (a: number, b: number) => t(() => a / b, a, b);

tAsync<T>(promise: Promise<T>): Promise<TResult<T, unknown>>

Wraps a Promise in a Result.

const result = await tAsync(fetch('/api/data')); // Ok(Response) or Err(Error)

Serialization Functions

serialize<T, E>(result: TResult<T, E>): [boolean, T | E]

Converts a result to a wire-friendly format.

const wireFormat = serialize(Ok(42)); // [true, 42]

deserialize<T, E>(serialized: [boolean, T | E]): TResult<T, E>

Converts a serialized result back to a TResult.

const result = deserialize([true, 42]); // Ok(42)

💡 Resources / References

• try operator proposal - ECMAScript proposal that inspired our array destructuring
• ts-results
• neverthrow