Figure out how to deal with annoying `node:` prefix in auto-imports from @types/node

[DanielRosenwasser]

Nowadays @types/node ships with built-ins like fs as well as node:fs. Accidentally auto-importing these are extremely annoying if you're trying to target older versions of Node.js.

We should consider

• inferring the best type of auto-import from your project
• pick the older style of imports one until Node 16 14 becomes the last supported version
• provide an option

CC @andrewbranch @mjbvz

[andrewbranch]

Thanks for opening an issue—this has been on my mental to-do list since @uniqueiniquity brought it up. I’m actually surprised we haven’t gotten a flood of complaints about it already 🤔

[jakebailey]

I think it's very likely that people just have old versions of the packages installed, predating DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped#51107.

I know I hit this and it's frustrating, but I'm pretty diligent about updating my stuff regularly.

[jakebailey]

And, this may go away in short order with DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped#52595.

[DanielRosenwasser]

CC @rbuckton we don't really understand this well enough, and I heard there's some churn going into DefinitelyTyped?

[andrewbranch]

#42764 for reference

[sheetalkamat]

Also needs handling for ATA: https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/blob/master/src/jsTyping/jsTyping.ts#L32 ?

[karlhorky]

It seems like the PR from @SimonSchick was merged DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped#52595

Unfortunately, some applications (like ours) are depending on these module specifiers to work in TypeScript and also VS Code: DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped#52595

Could the fix in #42764 be prioritized so that node: prefixes stay valid module specifiers?

[SimonSchick]

Even if #42764 was fixed we would not be able to use this feature as the typings need to support old versions.

[karlhorky]

I guess what I would hope for (although I'm not sure if this is the changes described in #42764) would be to satisfy both requirements (prefixed and unprefixed builtin module specifiers):

1. the node: definitions stay in to not break users who are using them
2. the non-prefixed versions also stay there
3. the non-prefixed versions are selected for auto-imports (no user configuration for selecting the node: versions for now)

Also mentioned that over here: DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped#52595 (comment)

[andrewbranch]

Even if #42764 was fixed we would not be able to use this feature as the typings need to support old versions.

@SimonSchick you’re referring to the node: protocol imports not being supported in CJS require prior to Node 16, right? But if/when that gets backported to Node 14, or when you start writing new types for Node 16, you’d be able to use the feature at that point, right?

[SimonSchick]

No, I'm talking about the fact that node typings lag several TS versions behind for compatibility.