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no-explicit-any

Disallows the any type.

Using the any type defeats the purpose of using TypeScript. When any is used, all compiler type checks around that value are ignored.

Attributes​

  • Included in configs
    • ✅ Recommended
    • 🔒 Strict
  • Fixable
    • 🔧 Automated Fixer
    • 🛠 Suggestion Fixer
  • 💭 Requires type information

Rule Details​

This rule doesn't allow any types to be defined. It aims to keep TypeScript maximally useful. TypeScript has a compiler flag for --noImplicitAny that will prevent an any type from being implied by the compiler, but doesn't prevent any from being explicitly used.

const age: any = 'seventeen';
const ages: any[] = ['seventeen'];
const ages: Array<any> = ['seventeen'];
function greet(): any {}
function greet(): any[] {}
function greet(): Array<any> {}
function greet(): Array<Array<any>> {}
function greet(param: Array<any>): string {}
function greet(param: Array<any>): Array<any> {}

Options​

The rule accepts an options object with the following properties:

type Options = {
  // if true, auto-fixing will be made available in which the "any" type is converted to an "unknown" type
  fixToUnknown: boolean;
  // specify if arrays from the rest operator are considered okay
  ignoreRestArgs: boolean;
};

const defaults = {
  fixToUnknown: false,
  ignoreRestArgs: false,
};

ignoreRestArgs​

A boolean to specify if arrays from the rest operator are considered okay. false by default.

Examples of incorrect code for the { "ignoreRestArgs": false } option:

/*eslint @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any: ["error", { "ignoreRestArgs": false }]*/

function foo1(...args: any[]): void {}
function foo2(...args: readonly any[]): void {}
function foo3(...args: Array<any>): void {}
function foo4(...args: ReadonlyArray<any>): void {}

declare function bar(...args: any[]): void;

const baz = (...args: any[]) => {};
const qux = function (...args: any[]) {};

type Quux = (...args: any[]) => void;
type Quuz = new (...args: any[]) => void;

interface Grault {
  (...args: any[]): void;
}
interface Corge {
  new (...args: any[]): void;
}
interface Garply {
  f(...args: any[]): void;
}

Examples of correct code for the { "ignoreRestArgs": true } option:

/*eslint @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any: ["error", { "ignoreRestArgs": true }]*/

function foo1(...args: any[]): void {}
function foo2(...args: readonly any[]): void {}
function foo3(...args: Array<any>): void {}
function foo4(...args: ReadonlyArray<any>): void {}

declare function bar(...args: any[]): void;

const baz = (...args: any[]) => {};
const qux = function (...args: any[]) {};

type Quux = (...args: any[]) => void;
type Quuz = new (...args: any[]) => void;

interface Grault {
  (...args: any[]): void;
}
interface Corge {
  new (...args: any[]): void;
}
interface Garply {
  f(...args: any[]): void;
}

When Not To Use It​

If an unknown type or a library without typings is used and you want to be able to specify any.

Further Reading​