vite-plugin-dts

What is vite-plugin-dts?

vite-plugin-dts is a Vite plugin that generates TypeScript declaration files (d.ts) for your project. It helps in ensuring type safety and better developer experience by providing type definitions for your code.

What are vite-plugin-dts's main functionalities?

Generate TypeScript Declarations

This feature allows you to automatically generate TypeScript declaration files for your project. By including the plugin in your Vite configuration, it will generate .d.ts files for your TypeScript code.

import dts from 'vite-plugin-dts';

export default {
  plugins: [dts()]
};

Custom Output Directory

You can specify a custom output directory for the generated declaration files. This is useful if you want to organize your type definitions in a specific folder.

import dts from 'vite-plugin-dts';

export default {
  plugins: [
    dts({
      outputDir: 'types'
    })
  ]
};

Include/Exclude Specific Files

This feature allows you to include or exclude specific files or folders from the declaration generation process. You can use glob patterns to specify the files to include or exclude.

import dts from 'vite-plugin-dts';

export default {
  plugins: [
    dts({
      include: ['src/**/*.ts'],
      exclude: ['src/excluded-folder/**']
    })
  ]
};

Other packages similar to vite-plugin-dts

tsc

The TypeScript compiler (tsc) can be used to generate declaration files. It is a more general tool compared to vite-plugin-dts and can be used in any TypeScript project, not just those using Vite. However, it requires more configuration and does not integrate as seamlessly with Vite.

rollup-plugin-dts

rollup-plugin-dts is a Rollup plugin that generates TypeScript declaration files. It is similar to vite-plugin-dts but is designed for use with Rollup instead of Vite. If you are using Rollup as your bundler, this plugin would be a better fit.

README

vite-plugin-dts

A Vite plugin that generates declaration files (*.d.ts) from .ts(x) or .vue source files when using Vite in library mode.

English | 中文

Install

pnpm add vite-plugin-dts -D

Usage

In vite.config.ts:

import { resolve } from 'path'
import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import dts from 'vite-plugin-dts'

export default defineConfig({
  build: {
    lib: {
      entry: resolve(__dirname, 'src/index.ts'),
      name: 'MyLib',
      formats: ['es'],
      fileName: 'my-lib'
    }
  },
  plugins: [dts()]
})

In your component:

<template>
  <div></div>
</template>

<script lang="ts">
// using defineComponent for inferring types
import { defineComponent } from 'vue'

export default defineComponent({
  name: 'Component'
})
</script>

<script setup lang="ts">
// Need to access the defineProps returned value to
// infer types although you never use the props directly
const props = defineProps<{
  color: 'blue' | 'red'
}>()
</script>

<template>
  <div>{{ color }}</div>
</template>

FAQ

Here are some FAQ's and solutions.

Missing some declaration files after build (before 1.7.0)

By default, the skipDiagnostics option is set to true which means type diagnostic will be skipped during the build process (some projects may have diagnostic tools such as vue-tsc). If there are some files with type errors which interrupt the build process, these files will not be emitted (declaration files won't be generated).

If your project doesn't use type diagnostic tools, you can set skipDiagnostics: false and logDiagnostics: true to turn on diagnostic and logging features of this plugin. It will help you check the type errors during build and log error information to the terminal.

Type error when using both script and setup-script in Vue component (before 3.0.0)

This is usually caused by using the defineComponent function in both script and setup-script. When vue/compiler-sfc compiles these files, the default export result from script gets merged with the parameter object of defineComponent from setup-script. This is incompatible with parameters and types returned from defineComponent, which results in a type error.

Here is a simple example. You should remove the defineComponent which in script and export a native object directly.

Type errors that are unable to infer types from packages in node_modules

This is an existing issue when TypeScript infers types from packages located in node_modules through soft links (pnpm). Please refer to this TypeScript issue. The current workaround is to add baseUrl to your tsconfig.json and specify the paths for these packages:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "baseUrl": ".",
    "paths": {
      "third-lib": ["node_modules/third-lib"]
    }
  }
}

Options

import type ts from 'typescript'
import type { LogLevel } from 'vite'

interface TransformWriteFile {
  filePath?: string
  content?: string
}

export interface PluginOptions {
  /**
   * Specify root directory
   *
   * By Default it base on 'root' of your Vite config, or `process.cwd()` if using Rollup
   */
  root?: string

  /**
   * Specify declaration files output directory
   *
   * Can be specified a array to output to multiple directories
   *
   * By Default it base on 'build.outDir' of your Vite config, or `outDir` of tsconfig.json if using Rollup
   */
  outDir?: string | string[]

  /**
   * Manually set the root path of the entry files, useful in monorepo
   *
   * The output path of each file will be calculated base on it
   *
   * By Default it is the smallest public path for all files
   */
  entryRoot?: string

  /**
   * Specify a CompilerOptions to override
   *
   * @default null
   */
  compilerOptions?: ts.CompilerOptions | null

  /**
   * Specify tsconfig.json path
   *
   * Plugin also resolve include and exclude files from tsconfig.json
   *
   * By default plugin will find config form root if not specify
   */
  tsconfigPath?: string

  /**
   * Set which paths should exclude when transform aliases
   *
   * @default []
   */
  aliasesExclude?: (string | RegExp)[]

  /**
   * Whether transform file name '.vue.d.ts' to '.d.ts'
   *
   * @default false
   */
  cleanVueFileName?: boolean

  /**
   * Whether transform dynamic import to static
   *
   * Force `true` when `rollupTypes` is effective
   *
   * eg. `import('vue').DefineComponent` to `import { DefineComponent } from 'vue'`
   *
   * @default false
   */
  staticImport?: boolean

  /**
   * Manual set include glob
   *
   * By Default it base on 'include' option of the tsconfig.json
   */
  include?: string | string[]

  /**
   * Manual set exclude glob
   *
   * By Default it base on 'exclude' option of the tsconfig.json, be 'node_module/**' when empty
   */
  exclude?: string | string[]

  /**
   * Whether remove those `import 'xxx'`
   *
   * @default true
   */
  clearPureImport?: boolean

  /**
   * Whether generate types entry file
   *
   * When `true` will from package.json types field if exists or `${outDir}/index.d.ts`
   *
   * Force `true` when `rollupTypes` is effective
   *
   * @default false
   */
  insertTypesEntry?: boolean

  /**
   * Set whether rollup declaration files after emit
   *
   * Power by `@microsoft/api-extractor`, it will start a new program which takes some time
   *
   * @default false
   */
  rollupTypes?: boolean

  /**
   * Bundled packages for `@microsoft/api-extractor`
   *
   * @default []
   * @see https://api-extractor.com/pages/configs/api-extractor_json/#bundledpackages
   */
  bundledPackages?: string[]

  /**
   * Whether copy .d.ts source files into `outDir`
   *
   * @default false
   * @remarks Before 2.0 it defaults to true
   */
  copyDtsFiles?: boolean

  /**
   * Specify the log level of plugin
   *
   * By Default it base on 'logLevel' option of your Vite config
   */
  logLevel?: LogLevel

  /**
   * Hook after diagnostic emitted
   *
   * According to the length to judge whether there is any type error
   *
   * @default () => {}
   */
  afterDiagnostic?: (diagnostics: readonly ts.Diagnostic[]) => void | Promise<void>

  /**
   * Hook before each declaration file is written
   *
   * You can transform declaration file's path and content through it
   *
   * The file will be skipped when return exact `false`
   *
   * @default () => {}
   */
  beforeWriteFile?: (filePath: string, content: string) => void | false | TransformWriteFile

  /**
   * Hook after built
   *
   * It wil be called after all declaration files are written
   *
   * @default () => {}
   */
  afterBuild?: () => void | Promise<void>
}

Contributors

Thanks for all the contributions!

Example

Clone and run the following script:

pnpm run test:ts

Then check examples/ts/types.

Also Vue and React cases under examples.

A real project using this plugin: Vexip UI.

License

MIT License.