If you have encountered the error message “Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading ‘plugins’)” while working with TypeScript, you’re not alone. This error often occurs when you try to access a property of an object that is undefined. In this blog post, we will explore a couple of solutions to fix this error.

Solution 1: Check for undefined before accessing properties

The simplest way to avoid the “Cannot read properties of undefined” error is to check if the object is defined before accessing its properties. You can use the optional chaining operator (?.) to achieve this.

const plugins = someObject?.plugins;
    

This code snippet checks if someObject is defined and then assigns the value of plugins to the plugins variable. If someObject is undefined, the plugins variable will also be undefined.

Solution 2: Use default values or fallbacks

If you want to provide a default value or fallback when the object is undefined, you can use the nullish coalescing operator (??).

const plugins = someObject?.plugins ?? [];
    

In this code snippet, if someObject is undefined, the plugins variable will be assigned an empty array as a default value. You can replace [] with any other default value or fallback that suits your needs.

Conclusion

The “Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading ‘plugins’)” error can be easily resolved by checking if the object is defined before accessing its properties or using default values or fallbacks. By implementing these solutions, you can prevent your TypeScript code from throwing this error and ensure smoother execution.