Type 'string' is not assignable to type '"inherit" | "initial" | "unset" | "fixed" | "absolute" | "static" | "relative" | "sticky"'

Question

I get the following error in my application (npm 5.4.2, react 15.4, typescript 2.5.3, webpack 2.2.1, webpack-dev-server 2.4.1).

This will work:

<div style={{position: 'absolute'}}>working</div> 

This will not compile:

const mystyle = {     position: 'absolute'             }   <div style={mystyle}>not working</div> 

The compile error is:

ERROR in ./src/components/Resource.tsx (61,18): error TS2322: Type '{ style: { position: string; }; children: string; }' is not assignable to type 'DetailedHTMLProps<HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement>, HTMLDivElement>'.   Type '{ style: { position: string; }; children: string; }' is not assignable to type 'HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement>'.     Types of property 'style' are incompatible.       Type '{ position: string; }' is not assignable to type 'CSSProperties'.         Types of property 'position' are incompatible.           Type 'string' is not assignable to type '"inherit" | "initial" | "unset" | "fixed" | "absolute" | "static" | "relative" | "sticky"'. webpack: Failed to compile. 

But what't the difference? I can fix it with:

const mystyle = {     position: 'absolute' as 'absolute'             }  

but is this a good solution?

I don't have this problem with other style/css properties.

I found a similar problem on github: https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/issues/11465 but if understand it right, it was a typescript bug in an ealier version.

Any help appreciated.

Answer 1

This is a workaround, but it is alright. Some other solution is:

const mystyles = {    position: 'absolute', } as React.CSSProperties; 

You can check back when this issue will be solved. Around TS 2.6 i guess, judging by milestones.