[Timon3]

What's the big difference between `unsafe` and `as` regarding explicit labelling? Both are opt-in and explicit. As the user of a function, you don't see either from the outside. If you don't like `as`, it's fine to use a linter to disallow it.

[yencabulator]

The difference is that in everyday Typescript you end up using `as`, so it's presence is not a blaring alarm.

Grepping a real world codebase that would not be `unsafe` in Rust:

  event as CustomEvent<T>

  const errorEvent = event as ErrorEvent;

  const element = getByRole("textbox");
  expect(element).toBeInstanceOf(HTMLInputElement);
  const input = element as HTMLInputElement;

  const element = parent.firstElementChild as HTMLElement;

  type ItemMap = Map<Item["id"], Item>;
  ...
  new Map() as ItemMap

  const clusterSource = this.map.getSource(sourceName) as GeoJSONSource;

  [K in keyof T as T[K] extends Fn ? K : never]: T[K];

  target[type] as unknown as Fn<...

  export const Foo = [1,2,3] as const;

and on it goes. Typescript normalizes unsafe behavior.

[Timon3]

Many, if not most, of these occurrences can be made safe. It's very rare that I need `as`, and even more rare that I can't actually check the relevant properties at runtime to ensure the code path is valid.

It's on you to ensure that you don't misuse `as`. If I could choose between current TS, and a "safer" one that's less expressive in complex cases, I'd choose the current one any day of the week.

[yencabulator]

"Typescript can be made safe" is the "C++ has a subset that is good" argument. Meh.

[Timon3]

Almost every language has some way to do stupid things. Say you're working in C# - you can forcefully cast almost anything to almost anything else, just like in TS. So according to you, C# is just as bad as TS in this respect, right?

[neonsunset]

You can only do this with `unsafe { }` or `Unsafe.As/.BitCast`. Casts from/to `object` are type-safe even though may not be very user-friendly or good use of the type system in general.

[yencabulator]

If that's a thing commonly needed for basic operations like letting your event handler actually access the event details, then very much yes.

Sane languages have a downcast mechanism that doesn't pretend it succeeds every time.

[Timon3]

Weird, I don't need to do that.

Also weird that Typescript has exactly the mechanism you're talking about. Why are you acting like it doesn't?