TypeScript Generic Classes Explained

Welcome back! I am Mihir, and in this lesson we will learn generic classes in TypeScript.

A generic class can store or work with different types while keeping type safety.

Basic Generic Class

class Box<T> {
  constructor(public value: T) {}

  getValue(): T {
    return this.value;
  }
}

const stringBox = new Box("Mihir");
const numberBox = new Box(100);

TypeScript infers the type from the constructor value.

Explicit Generic Type

const box = new Box<string>("Hello");

Here, T is explicitly set to string.

Usually inference is enough.

Generic Collection Class

class Store<T> {
  private items: T[] = [];

  add(item: T): void {
    this.items.push(item);
  }

  getAll(): T[] {
    return this.items;
  }
}

Usage:

const numberStore = new Store<number>();
numberStore.add(10);
numberStore.add(20);

const userStore = new Store<{ id: number; name: string }>();
userStore.add({ id: 1, name: "Mihir" });

Generic Class Methods

class Queue<T> {
  private items: T[] = [];

  enqueue(item: T): void {
    this.items.push(item);
  }

  dequeue(): T | undefined {
    return this.items.shift();
  }
}

The class keeps the same item type across all methods.

Implementing a Generic Interface

interface Repository<T> {
  save(item: T): void;
  findAll(): T[];
}

class MemoryRepository<T> implements Repository<T> {
  private items: T[] = [];

  save(item: T): void {
    this.items.push(item);
  }

  findAll(): T[] {
    return this.items;
  }
}

Generic classes work well with generic interfaces.

Common Use Cases

Generic classes are useful for:

• repositories
• queues
• caches
• data stores
• form models
• reusable service classes

Quick Recap

• Generic classes use type parameters like class Box<T>.
• The type parameter can be used in properties, methods, and constructors.
• TypeScript often infers the type from constructor arguments.
• Generic classes are useful for reusable containers and services.
• They help avoid any while keeping flexibility.

Next up, we will learn Generic Constraints →.