TypeScript

When using TypeScript, Jinaga can verify that specification functions are used correctly. This works best when fact types are specified as classes.

Specify the type string as an upper-case static field, and use it to initialize a lower-case instance field. Use the as const type decoration so that the Type static (and subsequent type field) are strictly typed rather than allowing any string. Initialize all other fields by declaring them as public constructor parameters. The body of the constructor should be empty.

class Tag {
    static Type = "Blog.Tag" as const;
    type = Tag.Type;

    constructor(
        public name: string
    ) { }
}

A fact can then be created with the new operator.

const tagReact = await j.fact(new Tag("React"));

Date Fields

It is common to use a date as a uniquely identifying field of a fact. But facts are converted into JSON, which does not directly support the Date type. Those fields will be converted to strings.

When declaring a date field in a fact, give it the type Date | string. This will allow you to create the fact using new Date(), but yet read the field as a string.

class Post {
    static Type = "Blog.Post" as const;
    type = Post.Type;

    constructor (
        public created: Date | string,
        public author: Author
    ) { }
}

Dates will be converted into strings using ISO-8601 format and the UTC time zone. As a result, they are portable across time zones within an application, and sort lexically.