QTypeScript · Interview preparation
Should you use enums or string unions?
String unions work well for fixed serializable values without generating enum objects.
The idea to remember.
String unions work well for fixed serializable values without generating enum objects. Enums can be useful when a runtime enum object is intentionally required; check emitted JavaScript and API compatibility.
01Learn by doing
From first example to real project.
Start with the smallest working idea, examine a more detailed example, then look at a real application pattern. Adapt dependencies, error handling and data models to your project.
Basic: choose a union
01 / BEGINNERA value may be one of a fixed set of types.
type Status = 'idle' | 'loading' | 'success' | 'error';
let status: Status = 'idle';Intermediate: narrow unknown input
02 / INTERMEDIATEDo not assume an API response already satisfies your type.
function isUser(value: unknown): value is { id: number; name: string } {
if (typeof value !== 'object' || value === null) return false;
const item = value as Record<string, unknown>;
return typeof item.id === 'number' && typeof item.name === 'string';
}Real scenario: exhaustive state rendering
03 / REAL SCENARIODiscriminated unions model loading, success, and failure explicitly.
type Result =
| { state: 'loading' }
| { state: 'success'; data: string[] }
| { state: 'error'; message: string };
function label(result: Result) {
switch (result.state) {
case 'loading': return 'Loading';
case 'success': return result.data.join(', ');
case 'error': return result.message;
}
}02Check your understanding
Try it in your own words.
Explain should you use enums or string unions without looking at the code. Then modify the intermediate example, describe one trade-off and identify when the real-world pattern fits.
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