node-red-contrib-ts 1.2.3

Fast TypeScript node with type checking for Node-RED

npm install node-red-contrib-ts

Node-RED TypeScript Node

A fast TypeScript execution node for Node-RED with Monaco editor, type checking, and multi-tab configuration.

Installation

Install via Node-RED palette manager by searching for node-red-contrib-ts

Or via npm:

npm install node-red-contrib-ts

TypeScript Node

Execute TypeScript code directly in your Node-RED flows with full type checking, modern JavaScript features, and multi-tab editor interface similar to the standard Function node.

Features

• Monaco Editor - Same editor as VS Code with syntax highlighting and IntelliSense
• TypeScript Support - Full TypeScript compilation with error checking
• Multi-Tab Interface - Separate tabs for initialization, main function, and cleanup code
• Custom Type Declarations - Define your own TypeScript interfaces and types
• External Module Support - Import npm modules with type safety
• Async/Await Ready - Your code runs in an async function context
• Multiple Outputs - Route messages to different outputs
• Two Execution Modes - Function mode (fast) or VM mode (secure)

Performance Benchmark

Benchmark results for 500,000 executions:

• Node-RED function node: 11,886ms
• TypeScript node (Function mode): 6,177ms - 1.9x faster
• TypeScript node (VM mode): 10,222ms - 1.2x faster

Available Context

Your TypeScript code has access to these variables:

• msg - The incoming message object
• node - The current node instance for logging
• RED - Node-RED API
• global - Global context storage
• env - Environment variables via env.get('VAR_NAME')
• fs, path, os, crypto, util, Buffer - Node.js modules
• fetch - HTTP client for API calls
• process - Process information

Usage

API call with custom types:

// Type Declarations tab
interface ApiResponse {
    data: {
        id: number;
        name: string;
        status: 'active' | 'inactive';
    }[];
    meta: {
        total: number;
        page: number;
    };
}

interface Msg extends MsgBase {
    payload: {
        userId: number;
        filter?: string;
    };
}

// On Message tab
try {
    const apiKey = env.get('API_KEY');
    const { userId, filter } = msg.payload;
    
    const response = await fetch(`https://api.example.com/users/${userId}/data`, {
        headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}` }
    });
    
    if (!response.ok) {
        throw new Error(`API error: ${response.status}`);
    }
    
    const apiData: ApiResponse = await response.json();
    msg.payload = apiData.data.filter(item => 
        filter ? item.name.includes(filter) : true
    );
    
    return msg;
} catch (error) {
    node.error(error.message);
    return null;
}

Configuration

The TypeScript node provides the same functionality as the standard Function node but with TypeScript support and enhanced features:

Editor Tabs

• On Start - Code executed once when the node starts (initialization)
• On Message - Main function code executed for each incoming message
• On Stop - Code executed when the node is stopped or redeployed (cleanup)

Setup Tab

• Type Declarations - Define custom TypeScript interfaces and types
• External Modules - Import npm modules with automatic type definitions
• Outputs - Number of outputs
• Timeout - Execution timeout in milliseconds
• Execution Mode - Function mode (faster) or VM mode (more secure)

Editor Features

• IntelliSense - Auto-completion for available context variables with precise type definitions
• TypeScript Validation - Real-time error checking with Node-RED context awareness
• Smart Error Filtering - Automatically ignores await/return errors for seamless Node-RED integration
• Syntax Highlighting - Full TypeScript syntax support
• Template Code - Helpful starter template for new nodes

The editor provides comprehensive TypeScript support with:

• Type checking for all Node-RED context variables (msg, node, env, etc.)
• Automatic filtering of context-specific errors (await/return statements work seamlessly)
• Real-time validation as you type with precise error messages and suggestions

License

This project is licensed under the Apache-2.0 License - see the LICENSE file for details.

You are free to use this software in commercial environments, modify it, and distribute it without requiring to share your modifications.