Any type
The any type is a TypeScript type that permits values to be treated as having essentially any type, largely disabling static type checking for them.
Pro Angular 16
The TypeScript any type permits a value to have any type and largely disables static type checking for that value.
- How it is used
- Uses `any` to permit intentional JavaScript-style flexibility in TypeScript parameters, arrays, comparisons, and Angular event expressions.
- How deep it goes
- Works through annotations, compiler errors, assertions, and runtime results; stops at observable behavior rather than compiler internals.
- Examples
- Shows a function accepting numbers and strings, a mixed array, and an input event read through `$any($event)`.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via TypeScript annotations or Angular `$any`, while choosing unions when values can be restricted.
Essential TypeScript 5, Third Edition
The any type is a TypeScript type that permits a value to be treated as having any type, largely disabling static type checking for that value.
- How it is used
- Uses `any` to retain JavaScript-style flexibility for parameters, results, and variables when static restrictions are unsuitable.
- How deep it goes
- Works through explicit and inferred `any`, unchecked assignments, runtime failures, and compiler options rather than stopping at a definition.
- Examples
- Shows a tax calculation yielding `NaN`, an unchecked assignment causing `TypeError`, an empty array, and a JavaScript formatter.
- What you can do after
- Diagnose/debug with it by recognizing unchecked values, runtime type failures, and implicit-`any` compiler errors.
Read how Essential TypeScript 5, Third Edition explains any type →
Related concepts
- type checkingcontrasts with · Type checking is the process of determining whether values, expressions, or operations conform to the rules or constraints of a type system.
- genericscontrasts with · Generics are programming-language constructs that parameterize or generalize types and operations so they can apply to multiple concrete types or input forms.
- type inferenceproduced by · Type inference is the automatic deduction of program or expression types from available values, context, and constraints without requiring explicit type annotations.
- type assertionused by · A type assertion is a language construct that states or checks that a value has a specified type, with runtime behavior depending on the language.
These guides are generated from the text of Manning books by Manning's knowledge graph and link to the sections they draw on. The full books are available on liveBook and at manning.com.