Demystifying TypeScript Generics

Writing Reusable Code

Generics are one of the most powerful features in TypeScript, allowing you to write code that works with a variety of types rather than a single one.

A Simple Example

Consider a function that returns the first element of an array. Without generics, we might use any, which loses type safety.

function getFirst<T>(arr: T[]): T {\n  return arr[0];\n}

By using <T>, we capture the type of the array passed in, ensuring that the return value is correctly typed. This is essential for building robust utility libraries.