TypeScript error TS5023: Unknown compiler option 'strict'

Question

When using the option "strict" in tsconfig.json file, I get the error:

error TS5023: Unknown compiler option 'strict'

But this compiler option is clearly allowed in the official documentation:

Reference: https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/compiler-options.html

And also my Visual Studio Code editor.

Does anyone know what I did wrong? Here is my tsconfig.json file:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "strict": true,
    "sourceMap":  true
  }
}

According to the docs "Enabling --strict enables --noImplicitAny, --noImplicitThis, --alwaysStrict and --strictNullChecks." It sounds like it's for the command line only and you have to explicitly enable the aforementioned options in a tsconfig.json file. — cartant
– cartant, Commented May 6, 2017 at 0:49
@cartant that is not true at all. The "strict" flag is fully supported in tsconfig.json, I've been using it for weeks. — Aluan Haddad
– Aluan Haddad, Commented May 6, 2017 at 1:06

Aluan Haddad · Accepted Answer · 2023-07-05 10:44:28Z

43

You need the latest version.

Specifically, you need TypeScript@>=2.3

For project level installation (recommended)

npm install --dev typescript@latest

If you use tsc via the global command line

npm install --global typescript@latest

To override the version used by VS Code to use your global installation

Open user settings

Change it as follows (replace my name with yours)

 // Place your settings in this file to overwrite the default settings
 {
   "typescript.tsdk": "C:/Users/Aluan/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/typescript/lib",
    //..

If you are running Linux or OSX the path will be something like
```
 "~/npm/node_modules/typescript/lib"
```

That said, the latest VS Code should ship with TypesScript@>3 so you shouldn't need to do anything except update it...

Naturally, this doesn't require npm. The following are examples using other package managers.

JSPM:

command line:

jspm install --dev typescript@latest

VS Code project level settings:

{
  "typescript.tsdk": "./jspm_packages/npm/typescript@latest/lib"
}

Yarn:

command line:

yarn add --dev typescript@latest

VS Code project level settings:

{
  "typescript.tsdk": "./node_modules/typescript/lib"
}

edited Jul 5, 2023 at 10:44

answered May 6, 2017 at 0:57

Aluan Haddad

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4 Comments

benjaminz Over a year ago

Thank you! For me the problem is I use tsc from command line, and even though I've already updated my local typescript to latest version it still throws error TS5023

Aluan Haddad Over a year ago

Are you not able to update globally? npm i -g [email protected]

Aluan Haddad Over a year ago

You can also tell VS Code to use your local version.

benjaminz Over a year ago

No sorry for the misunderstanding, I got it working perfectly. I was trying to say that before I updated globally it didn't work, your second command helped resolving this.

andras · Accepted Answer · 2019-09-07 09:39:43Z

3

I had this same error.

What fixed for me was uninstalling the global tslint and making sure that I have the latest from tslint, tsc, and typescript installed. (Looks like not all combinations work.)

After installing these locally and removing all global packages, I have received finally my compilation errors.

answered Sep 7, 2019 at 9:39

andras

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1 Comment

fullStackChris Over a year ago

Also was the fix for me. I ran npm uninstall -g typescript tslint tsc and then, in my project, npm install --save-dev typescript tslint tsc and the Unknown compiler option 'strict' was finally gone.

clayjones94 · Accepted Answer · 2021-09-08 16:13:03Z

1

For me I had tsc in my dependencies. After npm uninstall tsc, it worked.

dependencies: {
  ...
  "tsc": "^1.20150623.0"
  ...
}

answered Sep 8, 2021 at 16:13

clayjones94

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1 Comment

Aluan Haddad Over a year ago

I didn't consider that possibility when I answered the question but you're absolutely correct that this could be the cause of the of an error which manifests the similar symptoms as that in the OP.

Aurel Havetta · Accepted Answer · 2021-04-26 14:57:40Z

0

For me the problem was, that the folder name of the project I was debugging included characters "{" and "}". After removing curly brackets from the folder name, it started to work.

answered Apr 26, 2021 at 14:57

Aurel Havetta

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