Typescript: classes and Interfaces in definition file getting required in compiled .js

Question

I have a Typescript project with two important files:

app.ts
models.d.ts

The first few lines of app.ts look like this:

///<reference path="models.d.ts"/>
'use strict';

import * as fs from 'async-file';
import { MyClass } from './models';

The first few lines of the compiled app.js are:

///<reference path="models.d.ts"/>
'use strict';
var __awaiter = (this && this.__awaiter) || function (thisArg, _arguments, P, generator) {
    return new (P || (P = Promise))(function (resolve, reject) {
        function fulfilled(value) { try { step(generator.next(value)); } catch (e) { reject(e); } }
        function rejected(value) { try { step(generator["throw"](value)); } catch (e) { reject(e); } }
        function step(result) { result.done ? resolve(result.value) : new P(function (resolve) { resolve(result.value); }).then(fulfilled, rejected); }
        step((generator = generator.apply(thisArg, _arguments || [])).next());
    });
};
Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
const fs = require("async-file");
const models_1 = require("./models"); //// ERROR THROWN HERE!!!!!!!!

However, no models.js is generated because it's just a .d.ts declaration file. So when I run this, and require is called to get ./models, I get the following exception:

Cannot find module './models'

This is Visual Studio Professional 2017 and I don't have a tsconfig.json file. However, my project compilation settings look like this:

What am I doing wrong? This is killing me.

Answer 1

models.d.ts implies that there is a models.js that already exists in its place in your output directory.

You should probably use a .ts file if that isn't the case. In other words, rename it from models.d.ts to models.ts.