precise-any-variants

Prefer More Precise Variants of any to Plain any

Overview

If you must use any, make it as specific as possible.

Plain any accepts everything. But any[], Record<string, any>, or () => any are narrower and still provide some type checking.

When to Use This Skill

• Forced to use any for some reason
• Writing functions that accept "anything"
• Dealing with truly dynamic data
• Migrating from JavaScript

The Iron Rule

any is a last resort.
Specific variants of any preserve partial type safety.

Remember:

• any[] checks that it's an array
• Record<string, any> checks that it's an object
• () => any checks that it's a function
• unknown is even safer than any variant

Detection: Over-broad any

function getLength(x: any) {  // Too broad!
  return x.length;
}

getLength(123);     // No error, crashes at runtime
getLength(null);    // No error, crashes at runtime
getLength([1,2,3]); // OK

Better: Specific any Variants

any[] for Arrays

function getLength(array: any[]) {
  return array.length;  // Type checked!
}

getLength([1, 2, 3]);  // OK
getLength(/regex/);
//        ~~~~~~~
// Argument of type 'RegExp' is not assignable to parameter of type 'any[]'

Benefits:

• .length access is type-checked
• Return type is number, not any
• Non-arrays are rejected

Record<string, any> for Objects

function hasKey(obj: Record<string, any>, key: string): boolean {
  return key in obj;
}

hasKey({ a: 1 }, 'a');  // OK
hasKey(null, 'a');
//     ~~~~
// Argument of type 'null' is not assignable to parameter of type 'Record<string, any>'

() => any for Functions

type Fn0 = () => any;           // No params
type Fn1 = (arg: any) => any;   // One param
type FnN = (...args: any[]) => any;  // Any params

function callTwice(fn: FnN) {
  fn();
  fn();
}

callTwice(() => console.log('hi'));  // OK
callTwice(123);
//        ~~~
// Argument of type 'number' is not assignable to parameter of type '(...args: any[]) => any'

Use any[] for Rest Parameters

// any rest parameter: return type is any
const numArgsBad = (...args: any) => args.length;
//    ^? (...args: any) => any

// any[] rest parameter: return type is number
const numArgsBetter = (...args: any[]) => args.length;
//    ^? (...args: any[]) => number

The return type matters for downstream code!

Comparison of any Variants

Type	Accepts	Rejects
any	Everything	Nothing
any[]	Arrays	Non-arrays
Record<string, any>	Objects	Primitives, null
() => any	Functions	Non-functions
object	Objects, arrays	Primitives, null
unknown	Everything	Everything (without check)

Consider unknown Instead

unknown is even safer:

function process(data: unknown) {
  // Must narrow before using
  if (Array.isArray(data)) {
    data.length;  // OK, data is any[]
  }
  if (typeof data === 'object' && data !== null) {
    // data is object
  }
}

With unknown, you can't do anything without first checking the type.

Real-World Example: JSON Parsing

// Don't return any
function parseBad(json: string): any {
  return JSON.parse(json);
}

// Better: return unknown
function parseGood(json: string): unknown {
  return JSON.parse(json);
}

// Caller must narrow:
const data = parseGood('{"x": 1}');
if (typeof data === 'object' && data !== null && 'x' in data) {
  console.log(data.x);
}

When any is Unavoidable

Sometimes you genuinely need any:

// Wrapping a library that uses any internally
function wrapLibrary<T>(input: T): T {
  return (library as any).process(input);
}

// Type assertion in implementation
function merge<T>(a: Partial<T>, b: Partial<T>): T {
  return { ...a, ...b } as any as T;
}

Even then, hide it inside functions with good type signatures (Item 45).

Pressure Resistance Protocol

1. "any Works"

Pressure: "Just use any and move on"

Response: any disables ALL type checking. Specific variants preserve some safety.

Action: Use the most specific variant that works.

2. "I Don't Know the Type"

Pressure: "The type is truly dynamic"

Response: unknown is safer for truly unknown types.

Action: Use unknown, then narrow before using.

Red Flags - STOP and Reconsider

• any as function parameter (use specific variant)
• any as return type (prefer unknown)
• any for objects (use Record<string, any> or object)
• any for arrays (use any[])

Common Rationalizations (All Invalid)

Excuse	Reality
"It's too dynamic to type"	unknown handles truly dynamic data
"Specific variants are verbose"	A few characters save runtime errors
"any is fine for internal code"	Internal code still has bugs

Quick Reference

// DON'T: Plain any
function f(x: any): any { ... }

// DO: Specific variants
function getLength(arr: any[]): number { ... }
function getKeys(obj: Record<string, any>): string[] { ... }
function call(fn: (...args: any[]) => any): void { ... }

// BEST: unknown when possible
function process(data: unknown): void {
  if (Array.isArray(data)) { ... }
}

The Bottom Line

If you must use any, make it specific.

any[], Record<string, any>, and () => any preserve some type checking while still allowing flexibility. But consider whether unknown is a safer choice.

Reference

Based on "Effective TypeScript" by Dan Vanderkam, Item 44: Prefer More Precise Variants of any to Plain any.