Smarter compiler to create Internal and External Modules from the same TypeScript file.

[codeBelt]

Currently, you have to write TypeScript files two different ways to either output them as Internal or External Modules. Can we have a smarter compiler that can create an Internal or External Modules from the same TypeScript file using the module option?

Suggestion, create all classes in the internal module way.

module namespace {
    export class ClassName {
        constructor() {
        }
        public methodName():void {
        }
    }
}

which would create the modular version

define(["require", "exports"], function(require, exports) {
    var ClassName = (function () {
        function ClassName() {
        }
        ClassName.prototype.methodName = function () {
        }
        return ClassName;
    })();
    return ClassName;
});

or could create a none modular version from the same file.

var namespace;
(function (namespace) {
    var ClassName = (function () {
        function ClassName() {
        }
        ClassName.prototype.methodName = function () {
        };
        return ClassName;
    })();
    namespace.ClassName = ClassName;
})(namespace || (namespace = {}));

Initially I created a framework using the internal module way but then had to port it to the external module way for another project. Now I am maintaining two code bases and the only difference is how the files are structured so that I can create an internal or external module versions.

[RyanCavanaugh]

We talked about doing this but decided against it because it's only a useful pattern for code which doesn't consume any external module dependencies, which is a fairly limited scenario.

It's pretty straightforward to write something like this:

module Foo {
    export function bar() { return ''; }
}

declare module "Foo" {
    export = Foo;
}

and then wrap the output of this file in a require call as a post-build step with a simple script.