Move to File and Move to new File not working to React components

[xmonkee]

Type: Bug

ERR TypeScript Server Error (5.8.2)
Debug Failure. False expression: Expected symbol to be a module
Error: Debug Failure. False expression: Expected symbol to be a module
at Object.addImportForModuleSymbol (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:157416:11)
at /node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147140:19
at Map.forEach ()
at addTargetFileImports (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147133:17)
at getNewStatementsAndRemoveFromOldFile (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:146364:3)
at doChange4 (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147360:3)
at /node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147349:77
at _ChangeTracker.with (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:178070:5)
at Object.getRefactorEditsToMoveToNewFile [as getEditsForAction] (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147349:60)
at Object.getEditsForRefactor (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:145454:31)
at Object.getEditsForRefactor2 [as getEditsForRefactor] (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:152954:32)
at IpcIOSession.getEditsForRefactor (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195255:49)
at getEditsForRefactor (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:193406:43)
at /node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195676:15
at IpcIOSession.executeWithRequestId (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195665:14)
at IpcIOSession.executeCommand (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195674:29)
at IpcIOSession.onMessage (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195722:68)
at process. (/node_modules/typescript/lib/_tsserver.js:519:14)
at process.emit (node:events:524:28)
at emit (node:internal/child_process:950:14)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:83:21): Error: TypeScript Server Error (5.8.2)
Debug Failure. False expression: Expected symbol to be a module
Error: Debug Failure. False expression: Expected symbol to be a module
at Object.addImportForModuleSymbol (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:157416:11)
at /node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147140:19
at Map.forEach ()
at addTargetFileImports (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147133:17)
at getNewStatementsAndRemoveFromOldFile (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:146364:3)
at doChange4 (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147360:3)
at /node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147349:77
at _ChangeTracker.with (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:178070:5)
at Object.getRefactorEditsToMoveToNewFile [as getEditsForAction] (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:147349:60)
at Object.getEditsForRefactor (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:145454:31)
at Object.getEditsForRefactor2 [as getEditsForRefactor] (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:152954:32)
at IpcIOSession.getEditsForRefactor (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195255:49)
at getEditsForRefactor (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:193406:43)
at /node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195676:15
at IpcIOSession.executeWithRequestId (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195665:14)
at IpcIOSession.executeCommand (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195674:29)
at IpcIOSession.onMessage (/node_modules/typescript/lib/typescript.js:195722:68)
at process. (/node_modules/typescript/lib/_tsserver.js:519:14)
at process.emit (node:events:524:28)
at emit (node:internal/child_process:950:14)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:83:21)
at Function.create (/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/extensions/typescript-language-features/dist/extension.js:2:496515)
at y.dispatchResponse (/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/extensions/typescript-language-features/dist/extension.js:2:490107)
at y.dispatchMessage (/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/extensions/typescript-language-features/dist/extension.js:2:488548)
at ChildProcess. (/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/extensions/typescript-language-features/dist/extension.js:2:488041)
at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:524:28)
at ChildProcess.emit (node:domain:489:12)
at emit (node:internal/child_process:950:14)
at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:83:21)

VS Code version: Code 1.100.2 (Universal) (848b80aeb52026648a8ff9f7c45a9b0a80641e2e, 2025-05-14T21:47:40.416Z)
OS version: Darwin arm64 24.1.0
Modes:

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M3 (8 x 2400)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: enabled_on direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	4, 4, 5
Memory (System)	16.00GB (0.05GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id cd448239-b3da-4fa9-9167-25e187c76b48
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Extensions (25)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
claude-code	Ant	0.2.122
vscode-tailwindcss	bra	0.14.20
vscode-eslint	dba	3.0.10
docker	doc	0.7.0
gitlens	eam	17.1.1
prettier-vscode	esb	11.0.0
figma-vscode-extension	fig	0.4.1
auto-rename-tag	for	0.1.10
copilot	Git	1.326.1596
copilot-chat	Git	0.27.2
vscode-github-actions	git	0.27.1
terraform	has	2.34.4
batch-rename-extension	Jan	0.0.6
rainbow-csv	mec	3.19.0
vscode-containers	ms-	2.0.2
vscode-docker	ms-	2.0.0
remote-ssh	ms-	0.120.0
remote-ssh-edit	ms-	0.87.0
remote-explorer	ms-	0.5.0
vsliveshare	ms-	1.0.5948
docker-compose	p1c	0.5.1
prisma	Pri	6.8.2
explorer	vit	1.17.1
vim	vsc	1.30.1
glean	wix	5.2.2

(2 theme extensions excluded)

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
vscod805cf:30301675
binariesv615:30325510
vscaat:30438848
c4g48928:30535728
azure-dev_surveyone:30548225
a9j8j154:30646983
962ge761:30959799
h48ei257:31000450
pythontbext0:30879054
cppperfnew:31000557
dwnewjupytercf:31046870
pythonrstrctxt:31112756
nativeloc2:31192216
5fd0e150:31155592
dwcopilot:31170013
6074i472:31201624
dwoutputs:31242946
customenabled:31248079
9064b325:31222308
copilot_t_ci:31222730
e5gg6876:31282496
pythoneinst12:31285622
bgtreat:31268568
4gafe986:31271826
c7cif404:31314491
996jf627:31283433
pythonrdcb7:31303018
usemplatestapi:31297334
0aa6g176:31307128
7bj51361:31289155
747dc170:31275177
pylancecolor:31314202
aj953862:31281341
generatesymbolt:31295002
convertfstringf:31295003
gendocf:31295004
j6a0c355:31309728

[gthb]

Not React-specific — I get the same error (in Typescript 5.8.3) when trying to move a simple function, no React in the project.

This appears to happen when the destination file needs to import a symbol that is exported separately from its declaration.

Here is a minimal reproduction:

foo.ts

import Bar from './Bar';

function makeBar () {
  return new Bar();
}

bar.ts

class Bar {}

export default Bar;

Trying to move makeBar to a new file, or to an existing file other than bar.ts, will fail with this “Debug Failure. False expression: Expected symbol to be a module” error.

Moving it to bar.ts itself (where an import of Bar is not needed) works fine. Makes sense since the failure occurs in addImportForModuleSymbol.

The problem is also present if the export is not default (but is separate from the declaration):

bar.ts with non-default export

class Bar {}

export { Bar };

The problem goes away if bar.ts exports the symbol at its declaration, not separately:

bar.ts with default export at declaration

export default class Bar {}

and likewise when the symbol is exported non-default at its declaration:

bar.ts with non-default export at declaration

export class Bar {}