Using JsObservable with TypeScript

I already worked with JSRender, JSViews, and JSObservables in the past. This time, I started a new project but using TypeScript and I am not sure how to use it. I find very confusing where to put the references to .js, .d.ts, .ts, etc.

I will describe what I have and where it fails.

My "scripts" folder contains these files:

~\Typings\jQuery\jQuery.d.ts
installed from this NuGet package: jquery.TypeScript.DefinitelyTyped v0.0.1

~\Typings\jsrender\jsrender.d.ts   
installed from this NuGet package: jsrender.TypeScript.DefinitelyTyped v0.1.8

File: ~/index.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <script src="scripts/jquery-3.1.1.js"></script>
    <script src="scripts/jsviews.js"></script>
    <script src="scripts/game/game.js"></script>
    <script src="scripts/game/app.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
    <div id="view">
        <div id="myMap"></div>
        <div id="optionsTmpl"></div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

File: ~/tmpl/options.tmpl.html

<div class="optionsFrame">
    <select data-link="mapType">
    {^{for mapTypes}}
        <option value="{{:id}}">{{:name}}</option>
    {{/for}}
    </select>
    <input type="button" value="test">
</div>

File: app.ts

/// <reference path="../typings/jquery/jquery.d.ts" />
/// <reference path="../typings/jsrender/jsrender.d.ts" />
class UnchartedApp {
    game: UnchartedGame;

    init() {
        this.game = new UnchartedGame();
        this.game.loadMap();
    }
}

window.onload = () => {
    var app = new UnchartedApp();
    app.init();
};

File: game.ts

/// <reference path="../typings/jquery/jquery.d.ts" />
/// <reference path="../typings/jsrender/jsrender.d.ts" />
class UnchartedGame {
    constructor() {
    }


    /*****      Error on the $.observe() line !!    *****/
    loadMap() {
        this.linkTemplate("options", "#optionsTmpl", this).done(function (currentGame) {
            $.observe(currentGame, "*", currentGame.modelChangeHandler);
        });
    }

    modelChangeHandler(ev, eventArgs) {
        if (ev.type == "propertyChange") {
            var _game: UnchartedGame = ev.currentTarget;
            if (eventArgs.path == "mapType") {
                try {
                    _game.myMap.setMapType(mapTypeNames[newValue]);
                }
                catch (ex) {
                }
            }
        }
    }

    loadTemplate(tmplName: string) {
        var deferredLoad = $.Deferred();
        try {
            var filePath: string = "../tmpl/" + tmplName + ".tmpl.html";
            $.get(filePath).then(function (templateText) {
                $.templates(tmplName, templateText);
                deferredLoad.resolve();
            })
        }
        catch (e) {
            deferredLoad.reject();
        }
        return deferredLoad.promise();
    }

    linkTemplate(tmplName: string, targetId: string, model: UnchartedGame) {
        var deferredLink = $.Deferred();
        try {
            this.loadTemplate(tmplName).done(
            function () {
                $.templates[tmplName].link(targetId, model);
                deferredLink.resolve(model);
            });
        }
        catch (e) {
            deferredLink.reject();
        }
        return deferredLink.promise();
    }
}

What can I try next?

Solution

TypeScript wants you to use ES6 import statements ie: import * as jQuery from 'jquery'; The other way to do it is to reference the script (jquery, for example) in your module loader and then use declare const jQuery: any to be used throughout your application. Another way to do is to reference the typings in your tsconfig:

First way using import statements:

import * as jQuery from 'jquery'; // jquery installed via npm install jquery
import * as jsrender from 'jsrender'; // jsrender installed via npm install jsrender

// === OR ===

declare const jQuery: any; // Reference the script in your module loader/html
declare const jsrender: any; // Reference the script in your module loader/html

class UnchartedGame {
    constructor() {
    }


/*****      Error on the $.observe() line !!    *****/
loadMap() {
    this.linkTemplate("options", "#optionsTmpl", this).done(function (currentGame) {
        $.observe(currentGame, "*", currentGame.modelChangeHandler);
    });
}

modelChangeHandler(ev, eventArgs) {
    if (ev.type == "propertyChange") {
        var _game: UnchartedGame = ev.currentTarget;
        if (eventArgs.path == "mapType") {
            try {
                _game.myMap.setMapType(mapTypeNames[newValue]);
            }
            catch (ex) {
            }
        }
    }
}

loadTemplate(tmplName: string) {
    var deferredLoad = $.Deferred();
    try {
        var filePath: string = "../tmpl/" + tmplName + ".tmpl.html";
        $.get(filePath).then(function (templateText) {
            $.templates(tmplName, templateText);
            deferredLoad.resolve();
        })
    }
    catch (e) {
        deferredLoad.reject();
    }
    return deferredLoad.promise();
}

linkTemplate(tmplName: string, targetId: string, model: UnchartedGame) {
    var deferredLink = $.Deferred();
    try {
        this.loadTemplate(tmplName).done(
        function () {
            $.templates[tmplName].link(targetId, model);
            deferredLink.resolve(model);
        });
    }
    catch (e) {
        deferredLink.reject();
    }
    return deferredLink.promise();
}

}

Using TSConfig:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "types": ["jquery", "jsrender"]
  }
}

One other possible way is to go to your main module and use the following line:

import 'jquery'; // jquery installed via npm install jquery

I noticed that's how I'm using it in one of my projects (required @types file).

I would also recommend getting away from using reference paths as TypeScript is all about types. Most modules (from what I've seen thus far) come with a typings file. However, jQuery for example does not. So, after you do npm install jquery, you'll want to additionally install it's typings by running npm install @types/jquery --save-dev