Domain modeling — aggregates, invariants & services
Model aggregates like Cart with branded IDs and enforce invariants via factories and services.
Domain modeling — aggregates, invariants & services is a free TypeScript Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 3 of 3. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the TypeScript Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The TypeScript Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.
Intro
Goal: Model a Cart aggregate using branded IDs and ensure rules like qty > 0 are enforced in factories and services.
- Branded IDs distinguish entity boundaries
- Factories return Result unions
- Service functions avoid invalid transitions
Entities & brands
Branded IDs make CartId and ProductId incompatible even though both are strings. This prevents mixups.
type Brand<Tag extends string, T> = T & { readonly __brand: Tag }
type CartId = Brand<"CartId", string>
type ProductId = Brand<"ProductId", string>
type Result<T> = { ok: true; value: T } | { ok: false; error: string }
const cartId = (s: string): CartId => s as CartId
const productId = (s: string): ProductId => s as ProductIdAggregate & invariant
Factories validate rules: qty must be > 0. Only valid Line objects can be created.
type Money = number & { readonly __brand: "Money" }
const money = (n: number): Money => n as Money
interface Line { productId: ProductId; qty: number; price: Money }
interface Cart { id: CartId; lines: Line[]; total: Money }
function makeLine(productId: ProductId, qty: number, price: Money): Result<Line> {
if (!Number.isInteger(qty) || qty <= 0) return { ok: false, error: "qty must be > 0" }
return { ok: true, value: { productId, qty, price } }
}
function makeCart(id: CartId): Cart { return { id, lines: [], total: money(0) } }Service: add item
Service functions perform safe transitions and recalc totals. If totals are invalid, the function returns an error instead of corrupting the state.
function addItem(cart: Cart, line: Line): Result<Cart> {
const lines = [...cart.lines, line]
const totalNum = lines.reduce((s, x) => s + (x.qty * (x.price as number)), 0)
if (!Number.isFinite(totalNum) || totalNum < 0) return { ok: false, error: "invalid total" }
return { ok: true, value: { ...cart, lines, total: (totalNum as unknown) as Money } }
}
// Usage
const c0 = makeCart(cartId("c1"))
const l = makeLine(productId("p1"), 2, money(10))
const c1 = l.ok ? addItem(c0, l.value) : { ok: false, error: "bad line" }Boundary mapping
At boundaries (e.g., APIs), convert to DTOs and validate when parsing back. Factories ensure data is correct.
type CartDTO = { id: string; lines: { productId: string; qty: number; price: number }[]; total: number }
function serialize(c: Cart): CartDTO {
return {
id: c.id as unknown as string,
lines: c.lines.map(x => ({ productId: x.productId as unknown as string, qty: x.qty, price: x.price as unknown as number })),
total: c.total as unknown as number
}
}
function parse(dto: CartDTO): Result<Cart> {
const id = cartId(dto.id)
const lines: Line[] = []
for (const raw of dto.lines) {
const l = makeLine(productId(raw.productId), raw.qty, money(raw.price))
if (!l.ok) return { ok: false, error: l.error }
lines.push(l.value)
}
const totalNum = lines.reduce((s, x) => s + (x.qty * (x.price as number)), 0)
return { ok: true, value: { id, lines, total: money(totalNum) } }
}Tips
Best practices:
- Centralize validation in factories.
- Keep service functions pure and deterministic.
- Do brand conversions only at system boundaries.
Invariant check
Quick check: How should you enforce an invariant like qty > 0?
Recap
Recap: Branded IDs combined with factories and services enforce invariants. Invalid states cannot be created because all entry points validate input.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the “Domain modeling — aggregates, invariants & services” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Domain modeling — aggregates, invariants & services” is free to read here on the web. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the TypeScript Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO. The TypeScript Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.
What will I learn in “Domain modeling — aggregates, invariants & services”?
Model aggregates like Cart with branded IDs and enforce invariants via factories and services. You practise TypeScript Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start TypeScript Academy?
No prior experience is required. TypeScript Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 3 of 3.
How long does the “Domain modeling — aggregates, invariants & services” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this TypeScript Academy lesson?
Yes. Every TypeScript Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- Branding/opaque types to prevent unit mixups
- Tagged IDs and domain modeling patterns
- Domain modeling — aggregates, invariants & services