[SOLVED] How to declare a type as nullable in TypeScript?

Issue

I have an interface in TypeScript.

interface Employee{
    id: number;
    name: string;
    salary: number;
}

I would like to make salary as a nullable field (Like we can do in C#). Is this possible to do in TypeScript?

Solution

All fields in JavaScript (and in TypeScript) can have the value null or undefined.

You can make the field optional which is different from nullable.

interface Employee1 {
    name: string;
    salary: number;
}

var a: Employee1 = { name: 'Bob', salary: 40000 }; // OK
var b: Employee1 = { name: 'Bob' }; // Not OK, you must have 'salary'
var c: Employee1 = { name: 'Bob', salary: undefined }; // OK
var d: Employee1 = { name: null, salary: undefined }; // OK

// OK
class SomeEmployeeA implements Employee1 {
    public name = 'Bob';
    public salary = 40000;
}

// Not OK: Must have 'salary'
class SomeEmployeeB implements Employee1 {
    public name: string;
}

Compare with:

interface Employee2 {
    name: string;
    salary?: number;
}

var a: Employee2 = { name: 'Bob', salary: 40000 }; // OK
var b: Employee2 = { name: 'Bob' }; // OK
var c: Employee2 = { name: 'Bob', salary: undefined }; // OK
var d: Employee2 = { name: null, salary: 'bob' }; // Not OK, salary must be a number

// OK, but doesn't make too much sense
class SomeEmployeeA implements Employee2 {
    public name = 'Bob';
}

Answered By – Ryan Cavanaugh

Answer Checked By – Marilyn (BugsFixing Volunteer)