typescript declaration_error ai_generated true

TS4023: Exported variable 'X' has or is using name 'Y' from external module but cannot be named

ID: typescript/ts-declaration-emit-error

Also available as: JSON · Markdown
85%Fix Rate
87%Confidence
50Evidence
2023-01-01First Seen

Version Compatibility

VersionStatusIntroducedDeprecatedNotes
5 active

Root Cause

TypeScript cannot generate .d.ts files because an exported type references a type that is not accessible to consumers.

generic

Workarounds

  1. 90% success Explicitly export the referenced types so they are accessible
    // Re-export the type from your public API
    export type { InternalType } from './internal';
    // Or add explicit type annotation
    export const value: ExplicitType = createValue();

    Sources: https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig#declaration

  2. 87% success Add explicit return type annotations to exported functions
    // Instead of:
    export function create() { return new InternalClass(); }
    // Use:
    export function create(): PublicInterface { return new InternalClass(); }

    Sources: https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/declaration-files/library-structures.html

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. Disable declaration generation entirely 80% fail

    Library consumers lose type information; defeats the purpose of TypeScript

Error Chain

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Preceded by:
Frequently confused with: