question

Hello there,

Can you add "index.ts" value to "main" parameter in package.json and try again?

Hello,

I tried it, but the errors remains...

Here is my package.json

{
  "name": "hello-world",
  "version": "1.1.0",
  "description": "typescript test",
  "main": "index.ts",
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
  },
  "author": "someone",
  "license": "None",
  "dependencies": {
    "ask-sdk-core": "^2.6.0",
    "ask-sdk-model": "^1.18.0",
    "aws-sdk": "^2.326.0",
    "typescript": "^3.7.5"
  }
}

Must the "name"-Parameter match to something from Alexa, for example the skill name?

Hi @naum303!

I have past the last two week on the same issue of yours. I don't know if I have done the "right way", but I'll share my experience on setup Typescript over Alexas' Hosted Skill.

## Setup

First, I setup a new Node.js project w/ ask cli `ask new`;

## Typescript

Then, inside `/lambda` folder, I have initialized typescript w/ `tsc init`.

Just a few observation.

• I personaly hate to mix source forder w/ dist folder because you can transform your project in a hell experience very easy, so I created a `/lambda/src` and `/lambda/dist` folders;
• Then I have learned that Alexa's Hosted Skill does not understrand Typescript, so just to rename `index.js` to `index.ts` like Alexas' Docs suggest does not work;
• The lambda folder requires an entrypoint file on base `lambda/index.js` folder to work properly, and this file should export the handler function. I have tried several exemples on git hub to change the default path of application startup on `skill.json`, `ask-resources.json` and `ask-states.json`. All suggested ideas does not work properly. So I have surrendered to Ask and created a dummy `index.js` file that reads `./dist/index.handler`;

### tsconfig.json

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2015",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "lib": ["DOM", "ESNext"],
    "sourceMap": true,
    "outDir": "./dist",
    "rootDir": "./src",
    "composite": true,
    "strict": true, 
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true
  },
  "include": [
    "src/**/*"
  ],
  "exclude": [
    "node_modules",
    "**/*.spec.ts"
  ]
}

### `lambda/index.js`

var skill = require('./dist/index');
exports.handler = skill.handler;

## Deploy

The other problem is How can I run typescript compilation when Ask runs deploy? On Alexas' Hosted Skill you don't have access to deploy pipelines. After several workarounds I realized that Ask pipeline runs `npm install --production`, so I was able to enqueue npm scripts on install pipelines and it was exactly what I have done. I created a build script and enqueued it on `postinstall: ""` event.

Because nothing is easy on the Alexas' world, the Hosted Skill take a few more days of my life w/ very unusual side effects. Some times when I publish a new version by running `git push origin master`, the Ask UI tells us that it is deploying but my changes was not fully uploaded on aws lambdas.... Because of that I have learned that I always have to increase `package.json` version to fully update lambdas...

Other unnusual thing is that sometimes I fell like typescript does not transpile new versions... so I updated my pipeline scripts to always remove dist folder before build.

Finally, because Ask pipeline always runs npm install w/ --production flag, you can't have dependencies on devDependencies....

### package.json

{
  "name": "---",
  "version": "0.1.6",
  "description": "---",
  "main": "index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "clean": "npx rimraf ./dist ./tsconfig.tsbuildinfo",
    "postinstall": "npm run clean && npm run build",
    "build": "npx tsc",
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "ask-sdk-core": "^2.6.0",
    "ask-sdk-model": "^1.18.0",
    "aws-sdk": "^2.326.0",
    "typescript": "^4.1.2",
    "rimraf": "^3.0.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {}
}