Inversifyjs: Cannot find name 'Controller' (express-utils)

[lholznagel]

Expected Behavior

The Controller should be found.

Current Behavior

An error is thrown (in stack trace at the bottom). Short Version Cannot find name Controller

Possible Solution

Currently I don´t have one.

Steps to Reproduce (for bugs)

1. Create a file with the following Testcode:

import { injectable, interfaces, Kernel } from 'inversify';
import { Controller, InversifyExpressServer, TYPE } from 'inversify-express-utils';

const kernel: interfaces.Kernel = new Kernel();
kernel.bind<Controller>(TYPE.Controller).to(MyController).whenTargetNamed('MyController');


@injectable()
@Controller('/api')
class MyController {
  constructor() {
    console.log('do something');
  }
}

1. Try running it with ts-node
   

   Context

The error is thrown in line 5. But in line 2 the Controller is imported so the error should not be thrown.
The code is started with ts-node test.ts, but trying to compile it with tsc test.ts the same error is thrown.

Your Environment

• inversify Version used: 2.0.0
• inversify-express-utils Version used: 2.0.1
• Environment name and version (e.g. Chrome 39, node.js 5.4): node.js v6.3.1
• Operating System and version (desktop or mobile): Desktop
• Link to your project: sfus-worker
  link refers to the branch I am working on.

Stack trace

src/master/api/api.ts (15,17): Cannot find name 'Controller'. (2304)
    at getOutput (/home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:258:17)
    at /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:267:16
    at Object.compile (/home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:403:17)
    at loader (/home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:289:33)
    at Object.require.extensions.(anonymous function) [as .ts] (/home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:306:14)
    at Module.load (module.js:458:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (module.js:417:12)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:409:3)
    at Module.require (module.js:468:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:20:19)src/master/api/api.ts (15,17): Cannot find name 'Controller'. (2304)
    at getOutput (/home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:258:17)
    at /home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:267:16
    at Object.compile (/home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:403:17)
    at loader (/home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:289:33)
    at Object.require.extensions.(anonymous function) [as .ts] (/home/me/.nvm/versions/node/v6.3.1/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/index.ts:306:14)
    at Module.load (module.js:458:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (module.js:417:12)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:409:3)
    at Module.require (module.js:468:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:20:19)

[remojansen]

Hi @lholznagel this is working in the express examples right? If so it must be something in your config.

[lholznagel]

Yep, but I also had the same problem there, before I did "something". I thought it was because of the migration but now the same problem occurs again, which is why I created this issue as a "reminder" and to find the problem so that we can add some information to "How t use it" topic.

Will resume searching for the problem tomorrow.

[remojansen]

No problem thanks for reporting it 👍

[luisfarzati]

Yeap, same here. Shouldn't decorators.d.ts export the Controller interface that is importing from interfaces.d.ts?

[lholznagel]

export declare function Controller(path: string, ...middleware: express.RequestHandler[]): (target: any) => void;
the function under decorators.d.ts is exported.

In the file interfaces.d.ts the interface is exported:

import * as express from "express";
declare namespace interfaces {
  ...
    interface Controller {
    }
   ...
}
export default interfaces;

[luisfarzati]

But you are exporting the @Controller decorator. How about the Controller interface?

Note that I'm not getting an error when using the @Controller decorator, but rather when I try to use the interface like in the example:

@Controller('/foo')
@injectable()
export class FooController implements Controller  { // I get a "Controller is undefined" here
}

(I might be missing something here, new to TS)

[lholznagel]

Okay found it. I added the namespace interface to the exported stuff:

import { InversifyExpressServer } from "./server";
import { Controller, Method, Get, Put, Post, Patch, Head, All, Delete } from "./decorators";
import { TYPE } from "./constants";
import { interfaces } from './interfaces';
export { InversifyExpressServer, Controller, Method, Get, Put, Post, Patch, Head, All, Delete, TYPE };
export { interfaces };

in the code I now use:

import { interfaces } from 'inversifyexpress-utils';
const kernel = new Kernel();
kernel.bind<interfaces.Controll>()...

[lholznagel]

@luisfarzati the implements Controller can be removed, works for me.

[lholznagel]

@remojansen you sir, are awesome! The latest release seems to fix it. Removing node_modules and reinstalling everything works.

[remojansen]

Thanks! 😄 I will document here the fix...

To fix this problem you need to use [email protected] then you can import both interfaces and Controller decorator:

import { injectable, interfaces as inversifyInterfaces, Kernel } from 'inversify';
import { interfaces as expressUtilsInterfaces, Controller, InversifyExpressServer, TYPE } from 'inversify-express-utils';

const kernel: inversifyInterfaces.Kernel = new Kernel();
kernel.bind<expressUtilsInterfaces.Controller>(TYPE.Controller).to(MyController).whenTargetNamed('MyController');


@injectable()
@Controller('/api')
class MyController implements expressUtilsInterfaces.Controller {
  constructor() {
    console.log('do something');
  }
}

[remojansen]

Hi @luisfarzati can you please confirm that this issue has been solved for you? Thanks

[luisfarzati]

@remojansen thanks! Working now. Ideally, would be nice to be able to import Controller as is, but that's just me being too picky :D Thank you!

[remojansen]

Great, I will close this issue now.

Just to clarify Controller (decorator) and Controller (interface) are not the same thing:

import { interfaces, Controller } from 'inversify-express-utils';

@Controller('/api') // Decorator
class MyController implements interfaces.Controller { // Interface
    // ...
}

That's why it is not possible to have one unique import.

[pkeuter]

@remojansen This works perfectly when I'm not using uglifyjs with manging enabled. When I am using uglifyjs with mangling enabled, i'm getting this error: Error: No matching bindings found for serviceIdentifier: Symbol(Controller).

container.bind<invInterfaces.Controller>(TYPE.Controller).to(controllers.AuthController).whenTargetNamed("AuthController");

@Controller("/auth")
@injectable()
export class AuthController implements interfaces.Controller {
    constructor( @inject(TYPES.AuthService) private service: IAuthService) { }

inversify version 3.0.0-rc.4
inversify-express-utils: 3.0.0-beta.1

Any idea what that could be? Maybe this is the wrong place to post this, but I'm not sure if it's worth opening a new issue.

[remojansen]

From the docs:

The compressor might drop unused variables / unreachable code and this might change the number of identifiers or their position.

This is a problem because some variables may not be used at design time and be used only at run-time. I'm not sure about which variable its being dropped. I will have to do some testing to figure it out. If you could provide minimal source code that reproduces the issue It will facilitate future investigation.