Question: Why define both main and exports in package.json of types-versions-wildcards

[mrrajamanickam-coveo]

https://github.com/andrewbranch/example-subpath-exports-ts-compat/blob/main/examples/node_modules/types-versions-wildcards/package.json has both main and exports defined. But the solution works only for Node >= 12. Wouldn't it make sense to remove main then to keep it simpler and avoid any confusion?

[andrewbranch]

The purpose of the examples in this repo was to show ways of making TypeScript not complain even when users are using an old version of it or the wrong settings. TypeScript won’t look at exports unless moduleResolution is set to node16, nodenext, or bundler. When it’s set to something else, main will be necessary for TS to work. Users should be using one of those settings unless they’re actually using Node <= 11, but many still aren’t, so libraries that want to provide really high levels of TS compatibility sometimes want to trick old TypeScript / old settings into behaving like new TypeScript / new settings.