TypeScript, AMD (requireJS) & Importing 3rd Party-Libraries drives me insane

Question

I'm trying to use 3rd-Party-Libraries such as Knockout in my TypeScript-project.

As of organising my code, I am using AMD (requireJS to be specific) and to use the libraries in my project, I load d.ts-files from the great definitelytyped-project.

Now while I can use my own modules and libraries - which are all built with TypeScript - with ththis e simple 1 liner:

import PeopleViewModel = require("../ViewModels/PeopleViewModel");

I can't do that with the d.ts-files supplied by definitelytyped.

Now I know about the amd-dependency-command, but I don't understand how that is useful. In my JS-code, I do get a reference to the path in the in the define-call, but not the variable in the created callback.

To "say" it in code:

My TS-File (removed the openening-tag from the ///-commands, otherwise it won't get shown here in stackoverflow):

/// reference path="../../../../Libs/Knockout/knockout.d.ts" />

/// amd-dependency path="../../../../Libs/Knockout/knockout-3.1.0" />

import PeopleViewModel = require("../ViewModels/PeopleViewModel");

var johnViewModel = new PeopleViewModel("john");

var exampleVar = ko.observable(johnViewModel);

That compiles to:

define(["require", "exports", "../ViewModels/PeopleViewModel", "../Libs/Knockout/knockout-3.1.0"], function(require, exports, PeopleViewModel) {

var johnViewModel = new PeopleViewModel("john");
var exampleVar = ko.observable(johnViewModel);

});

Now you can see, that the amd-dependency created the correct link to the knockout-js-file, but it does not yiel the "ko"-variable, which is declared in the d.ts-file.

How do I get this to work without touching the js-file?

Maybe there is an argument in the amd-dependency-command, but there is still no documentation about that.

Thank you all every much!

Answer 1

To use the definition files you just need references like this at the head of your files:

/// <reference path="jquery/jquery.d.ts" />

Or if using visual studio you don't even need them!

If using visual studio 2012 and nuget you may have fallen for the incorrect content type issue. Make sure that all typing files (*.d.TS) are set as TypeScriptCompile in the solution explorer.

No need for require syntax for typing files.