TrimMultiSpaces

A TypeScript transformer that handling with multiline template strings by removing unnecessary spaces at compile time

Overview

When working with template strings in TypeScript, it's common to encounter unwanted indentation when dealing with multiline text.

For example:

function yourMethod() {
  const body = `Detail:
Name: ${user.name}
Age: ${user.age}
`;
}

To fix that indentation we need to lead to multiple spaces being included in your final string, which is often undesirable. While one workaround is to manually remove these spaces using .replaceAll(' +/g', ''), doing so repeatedly can be cumbersome and error-prone.

function yourMethod() {
  const body = `Detail:
        Name: ${user.name}
        Age: ${user.age}
    `.replaceAll("  +/g", "");
}

To address this, I've created the TrimMultiSpaces transformer. This removes all unnecessary whitespaces at compile time, ensuring that your TypeScript code is clean and your compiled output is free of unwanted spaces.

Installation

1. Use ttypescript: Replace typescript with ttypescript as your compiler since the default TypeScript compiler doesn't support transformer plugins.

2. Add globals.d.ts: Create a globals.d.ts file in your project and add this line of code:

   declare function TrimMultiSpaces(input: string): string;

3. Set up the transformer:

   • Copy the transformers folder of this repo in the root directory of your project (where your tsconfig.json is located).
   • Update your tsconfig.json to include the transformer plugin:

   {
     "compilerOptions": {
       "plugins": [{ "transform": "./transformers/TrimMultiSpaces.ts" }]
     }
   }

Usage

To use TrimMultiSpaces, simply wrap your template string as shown below:

const body = TrimMultiSpaces(`Detail:
    Name: ${user.name}
    Age: ${user.age}
`);

When you compile your project using ttsc, the multiline template string will be transformed, removing any unnecessary spaces, resulting in clean and consistent output:

const body = `Detail:\nName: ${user.name}\nAge: ${user.age}\n`;

Why Use TrimMultiSpaces?

• Cleaner Code: No more cluttered template strings with unwanted spaces.
• Efficiency: Eliminates the need for manual space removal.
• Compile-Time Transformation: Ensures your strings are optimized before they even reach runtime.