@types/node should be moved to devDependencies.

[k8w]

protobuf.js version:
6.6.5

Problem
@types/node should be moved to devDependencies in package.json.
For browser project, if there is @types/node, global function like setTimeout setInterval will be judged as wrong type by TypeScript complier.
For example,
setTimeout should return number in browser, but once there is @types/node, the return type is treated as NodeJS.Timer, It may result in many error.

[dcodeIO]

That's not really an option because when developing with TypeScript, the library's .d.ts files refer to node functionality (i.e. Buffer), even if these (usually transparent and tiny) parts are not used in the browser. One example here is protobuf.BufferWriter vs. protobuf.Writer.

Imho this is rather an issue with the typings in question. not with this library, as it is affecting setTimeout, which is a common / standard function.

[k8w]

@dcodeIO While I think you should put @types/node into devDependencies.

Because, for @types/node:

1. Protobuf.JS developer need it.
2. NodeJS project developer need it, but they would install @types/node by their own.(Because it's NodeJS project!)
3. Frontend project developer hate it, because it will get some error.
   e.g. the return type of setTimeout and setInterval will be judged as NodeJS.Timer rather than number.
4. It won't get error without @types/node in a frontend project. (Of course protobufjs installed, I've tried that remove @types/node after install protobufjs)

So devDependencies may be a proper choice.

[dcodeIO]

Well, I must admit that you have a point with 2. - but this all depends on whether 4. is correct and that there is actually no error without the typings file. Need to test!

[dcodeIO]

Doesn't seem to work without @types/node:

index.d.ts(1196,46): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'Buffer'.
index.d.ts(1332,25): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'Buffer'.
index.d.ts(1339,17): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'Buffer'.
index.d.ts(1347,21): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'Buffer'.
index.d.ts(2206,70): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'Buffer'.
index.d.ts(2838,40): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'Buffer'.
index.d.ts(2846,22): error TS2304: Cannot find name 'Buffer'.

To reproduce:

npm remove @types/node
npm run types

[k8w]

It seems protobufjs only need Buffer from @types/node.
Prepend a type Buffer = any, may solve this temporarily.

[k8w]

Well... I know why my frontend project not throw compile error without @types/node..
Because I used const protobufjs = require('protobufjs'). (I have declare var require:any, for webpack)

If I use import * as protobufjs from 'protobufjs' it will compile error....

[dcodeIO]

See the issue linked above. Basically, if you remove @types/node now, you can use the following reference to fill out the blanks:

/// <reference path="./node_modules/protobufjs/stub-node.d.ts" />

[dcodeIO]

With the stubs in place, is has ultimately been decided to include @types/node and @types/long as dependencies because this is the intended setup of the npm module.

Hence, custom use cases require custom configuration. Feel free to reopen if necessary, but first contact @microshine as it's all his fault.

[k8w]

Hi, @dcodeIO
Still don't find a good solution for this.
For protobuf.js is used both in browser and NodeJS project, and @types/node is a dependency.
I have to add rm -rf node_modules/@types/node in postinstall in package.json.

And I have also submit a issue #18588 to TypeScript, hope to have a excludeTypes option.

@mhegazy's reply:

I miss understood the situation then. this seems like a definition issue. include/exclude starts the process. but once there is an import or /// the compiler will suck in the additional definition files. that is the same way include / exclude work today for files as well.

The definition file should not have a dependency on node if it does not need it.