We’re proud to announce the Typed Forms Request for Comment. This is the first big step toward adding this long-sought feature to Angular.

Long Journeys, Tricky Problems

With strong types, the values inside of form controls, groups, and arrays can be more safely accessed. Many users access a control type the first time they interact with Forms, and wonder why it has a value of any:

This is just the tip of the iceberg: the Forms API is very large, and there are many surfaces that are similarly untyped.

Additionally, the API itself presents a number of challenges, which are explored in depth in the RFC. These challenges include details of how controls are reset, partial FormGroup values, disabled controls, and much more.

Although the full details are in the RFC, exploring one of the trickiest parts gives a flavor: resetting controls. The Forms package currently behaves in a very unsafe way: controls reset to null, which can violate the expected value type. For instance, a FormControl<string> might be intended to have a string value, but calling reset will cause it to become null, violating that type contract. To solve this particular issue, we introduced a new option when constructing a FormControl called initialValueIsDefault. Setting this flag causes the control to reset to its initial value, rather than null.

This is just one example, and many other icebergs lurk beneath the surface. How can we type these in a backwards-compatible way? We’ve studied these issues, and collected our proposed fixes in the RFC.

What’s In the RFC?

The RFC serves a few purposes simultaneously.

First, it collects our proposals about the crucial design questions. The RFC presents each design point together with explanations and examples, in a way that should be concise and easily understood.

Second, it provides a working prototype. We’d love for you to try our prototype, especially with your own app, and let us know how it goes. This is one of the most important ways you can help us when reviewing the RFC.

Finally, we’d love to gather feedback about the proposal. We have included some especially interesting questions, but don’t feel limited to just those topics.

The Road Ahead

Typed Forms provides valuable benefits on its own, but the feature will also enable us to evolve the Forms package in other ways.

One next step is improvements in template type checking. Now that we can check types for forms classes in TypeScript, we’d love to bring those improvements into forms templates as well. This will require upgrades to the template type checker, and should nicely broaden the impact of the new types.

There are some other potential beneficiaries as well: We’d love to clean up the way state change events are handled. Having strong types will allow us to provide a consistent and correct experience everywhere, from ControlValueAccessor to observables on AbstractControl.

We are incredibly excited about this new direction for Forms, both the types themselves and the many improvements to come.

Typed Forms: The RFC Is Here was originally published in Angular Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Embarcadero and Financial District — The developed northeastern coastline. Walkable during the day. Take Market Street MUNI or BART.

• Vaillancourt Fountain: a walk-through, gigantic brutalist public fountain.
• The Punchline: SF’s most famous comedy club. Call ahead for tickets.
• Ferry Building: a shopping area in a historic building with weekly farmer’s markets.
• Pier 7: A romantic hidden secret. Come at night for stunning Bay Bridge views from this wooden pier.
• Exploratorium: A science museum with cool contraptions and monthly 21+ nights.

The Bayshore: Caltrain, Mission Bay — SF’s eastern shore, developed recently. Get there on MUNI T line or Caltrain.

• The Creamery: fun coffee/sandwich shop with open-mic nights.
• Garaje: Burgers, tacos, and craft beers in a trendy late-night spot.
• AT&T Park: See a Giants game at the baseball park.

Downtown, Union Square, and the Tenderloin — High-end shopping and hidden nightlife. Visit via Market Street MUNI or BART.

• Bourbon and Branch: The most famous (and incredible) speakeasy in SF. Come with a reservation to access the table-service back room and 80-page drink menu.
• David Rio Chai Bar: Small “coffee” shop that only serves various kinds of Chai.
• PianoFight: Small bar and stage that hosts plays and comedy nights.
• Marianne’s: Hidden speakeasy. Come with a reservation, and know which door to knock on.
• Kin Khao: Michelin-Star winning Thai restaurant.
• Local Edition: Retro-themed underground sports cocktail bar. Bring a reservation.
• SFMOMA: Award-winning modern art museum.
• 555 Mission Street: An office building with a large, creepy public art installation. (Neighboring towers also have public art.)
• Shelton Theater: Underground Union Square theater that hosts plays and comedy.
• Boba Guys: Trendy Union Square boba shop.
• Union Square park: This area has the most expensive/designer fashion stores anywhere west of NYC.

Chinatown — A truly gigantic Chinese-American neighborhood. Visit via Market Street subway and a short walk.

• Dragon’s Gate: The illustrious gateway into Chinatown.
• Hong Kong Clay Pot: Perhaps the best Cantonese food west of the Mississippi.
• Golden Gate Bakery: fresh pastries.
• Vital Tea Leaf: A shop that does tastings and sales for import Chinese teas.

Northern Coast: North Beach, Little Italy, Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, and the Marina — Northern neighborhoods grouped here for their proximity. Take an Uber.

• Coit Tower: Iconic views over the bay from this famous building on a hill.
• Cafe Jacqueline: The best savory soufflé outside of France. Make a reservation.
• Cobb’s Comedy Club: bar and live comedy joint. Call ahead for tickets.
• Z Cioccolato: Adorable candy and taffy shop.
• The Beat Museum: A museum of artifacts from the Beat generation of writers.
• City Lights Booksellers: The famous multi-level SF bookshop.
• Lombard Street: This famous crooked and steep street is filled with flower beds up the hill.
• Ghiradelli Square: An old chocolate factory that still sells sweet treats.
• Greens: A high-end all-vegetarian restaurant near the Marina.
• The Wave Organ: Pipe organ sculpture played by the waves.

Mid-Market: Hayes Valley, SOMA, Van Ness — A diverse group of neighborhoods in close proximity, with lots of music and art. Get there on Market Street MUNI or BART.

• The Painted Ladies: see these adorable, brightly painted SF houses during the day near Alamo Square park.
• Souvla: Fantastic and quick Greek food/wraps.
• Le Boulangerie Hayes: French lunch sandwiches and pastries.
• SFJAZZ: The best spot for live jazz in California. Get tickets in advance.
• Mr. Tipple’s Recording Studio: a relaxed bar and live jazz venue.
• Asian Museum of Art: one of the largest such museums in the US.

Central SF: The Castro and Haight — An epicenter of SF nightlife. The Castro is a historic gayborhood; The Haight is famous for 1960s counterculture. Visit by riding any Market Street MUNI line.

• Club Deluxe: Late-night drinks and live jazz in the Haight. Explore the neighborhood here at night.
• Sushi Delight: All-you-can-eat/drink sushi and sake near the Lower Haight.
• Wine Kitchen: A cool wine bar north of the Haight.
• The Independent: an awesome live-music venue; get tickets in advance.
• The Castro Theater: Go to a sing-along movie at this historic local theater.
• Orphan Andy’s: Vibrant, very gay diner in the Castro.
• Twin Peaks: A hopping gay bar in the Castro.
• Starbelly: Astonishingly amazing American food.
• Canela Bistro: A wine bar with tapas.
• Brewcade: A combination bar and arcade with classic arcade video games.
• Twin Peaks hike: hills southwest of the Castro. Take an Uber, do a short hike, and enjoy views from downtown to the Pacific.

The Mission — Hispanic neighborhood with great taquerias and nightlife. Get there on BART.

• Tartine Bakery: some of the world’s best pastries. I’m not kidding. Come for breakfast.
• Dandelion Chocolate: local chocolatier.
• Cha-Ya: all-vegetarian Japanese Zen cuisine.
• Cafe Ethiopia: the best Ethiopian food in SF.
• Urban Putt: Trendy indoor mini-golf with a bar and adults-only nights.
• Wise Sons Jewish Deli: Great salmon bagels and latkes.
• Mission Dolores Park: the best small park in SF, with amazing skyline views.

Japantown — America’s largest Japantown. Get here by Uber.

• Crown and Crumpet: An adorable, British-themed shop serving high tea every afternoon. Make a reservation.
• Peace Plaza and Japantown Mall: Go shopping at cute Japanese stores.

Western SF: Richmond, Golden Gate Park, Presidio, and the Sunset — Tranquil residences and parkland overlooking the Pacific. Visit by riding MUNI lines L or N.

• Ocean Beach: this foggy Pacific beach has gorgeous seaside views.
• Murphy Windmill and Dutch Windmill: beautiful, historic windmills in Golden Gate Park.
• Empero Taste: pretty good Chinese restaurant north of the park.
• Versus Games: a trendy board game shop in the Sunset.
• Hollow: an outstanding, sleepy coffee shop south of the park.
• 16th Ave Tiled Steps: An iconic, long painted staircase near the park.
• California Academy of Sciences: A science museum inside Golden Gate Park with an amazing butterfly dome!
• Land’s End Labyrinth: An incredible rock labyrinth along Land’s End hike, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Baker Beach: another beautiful Pacific overlook in the Presidio; reachable by short hike.

Málaga is a beachfront city along Spain’s southern coast, in the region of Andalucia.

We arrived at the airport, and took a train downtown to our Airbnb. Most businesses were closed for the night, behind cute garage doors.

The Spanish usually eat dinner late, but only a few places were open on a Sunday. We found an adorable seafood restaurant.

The seafood in Málaga is intense. They serve entire fish, head and gills included. After dinner, we had some gelato.

Málaga is a port city, with a gorgeous harbor and lighthouse. We walked its length.

Then, we explored the city park. Some handsome buildings stand in the city center. Also pictured: Jason.

The next day, we tried a local menú del día. This tradition dates back to the Franco regime, and includes plentiful food at a fixed (low) price.

Public statues line the streets.

We visited the Picasso museum, but they wouldn’t allow photos inside the building. After the museum, we wandered past more public art, and into the cathedral.

The towering organ was sublime, as was the ornate stained glass.

Detailed statues dotted the inside of the cathedral, including cherubs and nativity scenes. Did I mention that Spain is a very Catholic country? It’s evident here.

We left the Cathedral, and ascended the Alcazaba, an ancient Moorish (Arabic) fortification, which dates back to Arab dominion over Southern Spain.

The alcazaba is filled with waterworks: fountains, tubs, streams, etc.

Eventually we reached the top, and were rewarded with tremendous views.

The architecture itself is ornate.

Besides the incredible views, they have shelves of ancient Moorish pottery.

From the city’s courtyard, the Alcazaba is juxtaposed with stunningly modern architecture.

At dusk, we went to ride the harbour ferris wheel. Ostensibly, it’s the largest in continental Europe.

The views from the top were stunning.

We wandered the city a bit more after dark.

We had a late dinner, in the Spanish tradition (most Spaniards eat around 10pm). On the way home, we met a street musician.

Up next: Ronda! I already took the photos; blog post coming soon!

(Check out the full-res photo album on Flickr.)

Our trip to London had a 23-hour layover in Vancouver. We arrived around 5pm, and found our hotel. Uber doesn’t operate here, so we took a taxi.

The hotel gave us a free upgrade to the top floor! Pictured: the view.

Soon, we ventured out to explore the city.

Vancouver seems to have a surprising number of commercial centers — clusters of tall buildings are scattered throughout.

Eventually, we came to Coal Coast Harbor. There is quite a bit of public art!

Many strange contraptions dotted the harbor. I still don’t know what they are, but they make for wonderful photographs.

Then, we headed for the Gastown neighborhood. A little bird told me it has the best nightlife. For a while, we wandered around.

The city is truly splendid during the summer — 60 degrees, and lush on every corner.

Since this is Canada, there is no import ban on Cuban cigars.

A woman smoking a cigarette cruised past us in a classic car.

In many places, taxis wind their way through curvaceous streets.

Gastown is home to several trendy shops and bars. It seems rather gentrified — I hope it’s not like San Francisco’s Mission district. I should learn the history!

The trendy bar we chose had beer flights and pinball machines. We needed one- and two-dollar coins to play, which the bartender called “loonies” and “toonies.” (Apparently most Canadians do this. Seriously!)

We wandered around a bit more, then headed home. The next day, we headed for Stanley Park on foot. Along the way, we found a colorful pier.

A breakfast café served us splendid pastries.

Before long, we made it to the park. I made a beeline for the aquarium. First, we saw jellyfish.

Lionfish are an invasive species, escaped into the ocean from the North American pet trade.

Jason loves sea otters. This one was particularly cute. It’s basically a smelly dog with flippers.

These penguins were rescued from an oil spill.

In fact, the whole aquarium has a conservation emphasis. Many placards warn of impending environmental crises, or detail the conservation work the aquarium is doing.

The rescued sea lions do tricks at feeding time! They are shockingly amphibious.

Various frogs occupy a whole room.

Soon, we exhausted the aquarium’s treasures, and made our way further into the park.

Stanley Park has many short hiking trails, which lead to various sights.

Some tourists ride around on a megabus. (Not us.)

Before long, we reached the harbor, this time from the other side!

We found a lighthouse.

In the courtyard, Jason took my photo. Always a nice change — I’m usually behind the camera!

Our 23-hour layover was running short. We hurried back to the airport.

Coming soon: London, part one! (Edit: the next part is Málaga!)

Aaron had carried balm with him that night, deep in the left pocket of his low-rise jeans. Tallas saw the scene clearly: Aaron, grabbing the chap-stick and car keys from the nightstand, his lips glistening and full and sensual, his figure stretched by moonlight into a lanky shadow beside the doorway. Tallas had watched from the bedroom as Aaron stepped through the threshold of the shoddy wooden house, his body shivering profoundly beneath the nightshirt’s thick fabric. Aaron took a long, silent glance over his broad shoulder, and then left for the drugstore: the sound of an engine pierced the small hours of the night.

Tallas remembered the police station, the frantic call to come right away, the mention of a drunk driver, the severe blue room. Tallas remembered the beige tray of personal effects, and the chap-stick rolling slowly back and forth.

The scene ended. Tallas picked up the tube and stood, replacing it on the cold aluminum shelf and withdrawing his hand slowly. It was always some long-forgotten detail that sent the grief snarling back. Drawing closer into the folds of his heavy woolen coat, Tallas inhaled the store’s cold air and shuddered. He would not return here.

Flash fiction: The chap-stick was originally published in Prose on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.