First demonstration of RuntimeTypeInspector.js in combination with the PlayCanvas Examples viewer:

The signal/noise ratio is still quite high to find "real" issues in the engine, but I hope we can get there with some PR's improving some type definitions here and there. Ideal case would be running every example with only a few errors here and there, but not in the thousands.

`RuntimeTypeInspector.js` - your personal type-checking assistant 🕵️🐞🐛

RuntimeTypeInspector.js alongside JSDoc is a powerful tool which works in tandem with Babel.js and TypeScript to generate type-asserting JavaScript files. Assertion code is injected into debug builds to perform runtime type checking of each function and method at runtime - a step which is required beyond pure static typing to help emerge the Incident Management Lifecycle.

The Incident Management Lifecycle is:

Identify - recognize the type incidents
Respond - debugging in F12/DevTools
Resolve - once the issue is cognized it's resolvable
Learn - clarify the issue for yourself and share with others

RuntimeTypeInspector.js is supporting Identify and Respond of the IML.

Why is this technology critical?

This technology is critical because it provides developers with an organized method to ensure type safety with runtime type issue reports while improving code organization, type safety and documentation - making it easier for other developers to understand the code and enforce good coding standards.

RuntimeTypeInspector.js assists the debugging process, since it has a clear definition of what each function expects while issuing warnings, which can act as breakpoints in your source code (as shown in the example debugging session in my showcase video). Finally, good JSDoc can make the entire code base more maintainable, since it's easier for developers to find the specific parts of the code they need to change quickly and easily.