TypeDoc crashes during link resolver

[andyferris]

Search terms

LinkResolverPlugin, kindOf, unexpected error

Expected Behavior

My typedoc compiled fine on version 0.25.4, and I expected it to continue to work with 0.25.5.

Actual Behavior

When upgrading typedoc to 0.25.5, it now crashes with the following message:

TypeDoc exiting with unexpected error:
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'kindOf')
    at /.../node_modules/typedoc/dist/lib/models/types.js:687:63
    at Array.find (<anonymous>)
    at get reflection [as reflection] (/.../node_modules/typedoc/dist/lib/models/types.js:687:43)
    at _classThis.resolveLinks (/.../node_modules/typedoc/dist/lib/converter/plugins/LinkResolverPlugin.js:102:27)
    at _classThis.onResolve (/.../node_modules/typedoc/dist/lib/converter/plugins/LinkResolverPlugin.js:85:18)
    at triggerEvents (/.../node_modules/typedoc/dist/lib/utils/events.js:191:43)
    at triggerApi (/.../node_modules/typedoc/dist/lib/utils/events.js:167:13)
    at eventsApi (/.../node_modules/typedoc/dist/lib/utils/events.js:60:18)
    at _classThis.trigger (/.../node_modules/typedoc/dist/lib/utils/events.js:389:13)
    at _classThis.resolve (/.../node_modules/typedoc/dist/lib/converter/converter.js:335:18)

The same is true for higher versions, like 0.25.7.

Steps to reproduce the bug

Upgrade from version <= 0.25.4 to version >= 0.25.5, and rerun.

In case it is useful, in version <= 0.25.4 we get warnings to the effect of X, defined in /.../example.ts, is referenced by Y but not included in the documentation. Perhaps these are causing an issue in the newer versions of TypeDoc?

I'm sorry I can't provide any more information. Our project is reasonably large (and private). I'm hoping you can identify the issue by figuring out what changed between 0.25.4 and 0.25.5.

Environment

• Typedoc version: 0.25.5
• TypeScript version: 5.3.3
• Node.js version: 20.11.0
• OS: Ubuntu 22.04

[Gerrit0]

This is probably caused by 6370490, specifically 6370490#diff-28b49c0a2528c726938d5b8ad6f68b2b12e25994b5cfb3d55b449447e2fcc09dR255

Going to be difficult to fix the underlying issue with this without a reproduction, as that assert ought to be safe in this context. Just fixing the symptom is easy, but not the right thing to do from my current understanding of that, which is admittedly a month and a bit old now... have been lots of other problems to take up brain space.

[Gerrit0]

Are you running with any plugins? I looked at the reflection removal code again, and am not seeing anything obvious which would cause this issue..

[ebekebe]

I get the same error message, with this little code snippet:

const f = () => 1;

/** doc
 */
export type ReturnOfF = ReturnType<typeof f>;

and when I run typedoc --excludeNotDocumented --out docs ./src/test.ts. When I omit --excludeNotDocumented the error goes away.

[andyferris]

Are you running with any plugins?

We are using typedoc-plugin-markdown and typedoc-plugin-merge-modules. (But the symptom likely is related to what @ebekebe wrote above - we definitely use ReturnType and have undocumented items).

[Gerrit0]

I put that snippet into a project and can't seem to reproduce still:

All of these generate docs successfully:

npx typedoc@0.25.5 src/gh2496.ts
npx typedoc@0.25.5 src/gh2496.ts --excludeNotDocumented
npx typedoc@latest src/gh2496.ts --excludeNotDocumented

I also tried exporting/not exporting f and including a link to f in ReturnOfF's documentation comment... none of these resulted in a crash.

[ebekebe]

Apologies, I couldn't reproduce it with my above snippet either. I don't know where the mistake happened, but here is the slightly modified version that does fail:

export function f() {
    return 1
}

/** doc
 */
export type ReturnOfF = ReturnType<typeof f>;

and the command:

❯ npx typedoc@0.25.8 --excludeNotDocumented --out docs src/test.ts
TypeDoc exiting with unexpected error:
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'kindOf')
...

[Gerrit0]

Thanks! That does it, very confused as to why I used to symbol in removeReflection now...