Try-catch helper for promises and async/await

try-catch.ts

export default async function tryCatch<Data>(
  promise: Promise<Data>,
): Promise<{ error: Error } | { data: Data }> {
  try {
    return { data: await promise };
  } catch (error) {
    return { error };
  }
}

Nice one!

Thanks, glad it's helpful!

It looks good to me just going to play with it in development.

How would you use that with fetch API?

fetch returns your promise. const { data, error } = await tryCatch(fetch(...));

Yep i know that, thanks, sorry I didn't explain it well.

Here is my issue, its to do with TS not recognising that data & error exists

This doesn't have anything to do with the fetch - it's because the TypeScript type has either {error: Error} or {data: Response}.

You could either change your code:

const result = await tryCatch(promise);

if ('error' in result) return handleError(result.error);

// Here TypeScript is certain that result.data exists:
doSomethingAwesome(result.data);

or change the return type of my function:

export default async function tryCatch<Data>(
  promise: Promise<Data>,
): Promise<{ error: Error, data: undefined } | { error: undefined, data: Data }> {
  try {
    return { data: await promise };
  } catch (error) {
    return { error };
  }
}

Unfortunately, with this approach, the destructuring causes TypeScript to lose track of whether error or data exists - it thinks that both exist always:

Destructuring + TypeScript still has some downsides (as of May 2021)

Thanks @karlhorky, i came to the same conclusion as TS is not happy anyway when you try to destructure that.

Also, thanks for suggesting if ('error' in result) return handleError(result.error); that will do the job but i don't like this construct tbh as you loose the type inference at that point.

Again, really appreciate you taking time out to look into it.

i don't like this construct tbh as you loose the type inference at that point

What do you mean that you lose type inference? I don't see this behavior in the 'error' in result alternative...

So, when you do ('property' in object), you are just feeling lucky that it may or may not exist.

Whereas using TS, the whole point is to leverage type inference and avoid compile time errors.

So, if the underlying contract changes to Promise<{ errorX: Error } | { data: T }>, TS won't show any warning/error for that line 'error' in result

Sure it would give you errors, in two places:

https://www.typescriptlang.org/play?#code/KYDwDg9gTgLgBAE2AMwIYFcA29UGcCeAdgMZzLokwCWEhcMU+AwqjMQBYA8AIq6gHwAKAFBw4YKBAC2VXMABccAAqSZcnn37CAlIpXTZwTgG84wKJKgANRQFEL0OAF84AHzimEfRbxipn-B6i9IxBYmJQwDDoUHSe3nCoAO6oVPASBnLOANzBLsSsHHCC5pbaYeGR0bEeZg7WiqWOTrliTsLtwoJ4RKTklDR0qILlxsHEtLjwkbhY8AC8iSlpIcyF7ILIURyCAES72tq5wVTIxbtNULtwVHQzc+VVMXQThLgQmMAAdJgQAOaCe7YL6XI7CYIAeghcAAEuZgHAACr4MDAADKxCgVDA8FkcGI5j8t3o7FYcCBMC+Xj8ZhAshguHk40mH2+vwBFKpfDBTm0I1yQA

Using "prop" in obj is pretty common practice, check out the TypeScript Handbook section on Narrowing: https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/2/narrowing.html#the-in-operator-narrowing

Agreed, i got that wrong, should've played that on machine first before speculating 👍

I think I would still want the destructing to work for me so I can avoid those if blocks before I use that.

Using "prop" in obj is pretty common practice, check out the TypeScript Handbook section on Narrowing: https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/2/narrowing.html#the-in-operator-narrowing

Sure, will do.

Here you go, destructuring works like a charm now 🎉
Try in TS Playground

export default async function tryCatch<T>(
  promise: Promise<T>
): Promise<{ error?: Error; data?: T }> {
  try {
    return { data: await promise };
  } catch (error) {
    return { error };
  }
}

(async function a() {
  const {error, data} = await tryCatch(fetch(""));

 console.log(error, data);
})();

Nice, good job! 🎉

The only reason that I tend to avoid this pattern is because then you cannot properly narrow the type of data.

As soon as you destructure, TypeScript "forgets" the association between error and data, meaning that you'll need to check whether data exists every time (see the | undefined part?):

Drat! you are spot on.

I'm just debating with myself if I can live with the following? What do you reckon @karlhorky?

const fn = async () => {
  const promise = fetch(`https://cdn2.thecatapi.com/images/lm.jpg`);

  const { error, data } = await tryCatch(promise);

  if (error) return handleError(error);

  const stuff = await data?.json();

  doSomethingWith(stuff);
};

Yeah, I started with this pattern too, using the optional chaining. I think it's not so bad for one usage!

But if you've got a long file where you're using data in a lot of places, then it may be worth it to consider avoiding the destructuring in the first step. That's where I ended up with most of my code.

I'm going to go with optional chaining as I tend to keep my functions small, let's see how it goes.

Great chatting to you.

Thanks, I enjoyed the journey too! 🙌

Hi @karlhorky, is it okay if I create an npm package for that with tests?

You're free to take the code and publish a package :) Just be aware, there are a number of very similar packages already:

• https://www.npmjs.com/package/try-to-catch
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/@casperengl/try-catch
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/try-catch-js
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/trycatch (closest to ES Proposal, also supports synchronous mode)
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/await-to-js
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/try-catch-expression
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/try-catch
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/try.catch

TS 4.4 may no longer "forget" the type information after destructuring: https://twitter.com/sebastienlorber/status/1409543348461965314?s=19

Ok, this is true for a single variable, but it doesn't apply for multiple variables being destructured: https://stackoverflow.com/a/59786171/1268612

It looks like this is actually a separate feature request called "Correlated Unions" by jcalz here: microsoft/TypeScript#30581

Seems like this may be in TypeScript 4.6, since this PR got merged:

microsoft/TypeScript#46266

Thanks @karlhorky