TypeScript Academy · Lesson

Typing Tree Structures

Model nested tree nodes with recursive types.

Typing Tree Structures is a free TypeScript Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 2 of 4. 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, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

A Tree Node Type

Trees generalize lists: each node has a value and an array of child nodes of the same type. This is a recursive type with a children array.

type TreeNode<T> = {
  value: T;
  children: TreeNode<T>[];
};
const leaf: TreeNode<number> = { value: 1, children: [] };
console.log(leaf.value);

Building a Small Tree

A node with children is just nested objects. The empty array is the natural base case for a leaf.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
const tree: TreeNode<string> = {
  value: "root",
  children: [
    { value: "a", children: [] },
    { value: "b", children: [] }
  ]
};
console.log(tree.children.length);

Nesting Deeper

Children can have their own children to any depth, because each child is itself a full TreeNode.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
const tree: TreeNode<number> = {
  value: 1,
  children: [
    { value: 2, children: [{ value: 4, children: [] }] },
    { value: 3, children: [] }
  ]
};
console.log(tree.children[0].children[0].value);

Summing All Values

A recursive function visits each node and recurses into its children, accumulating a result, a depth-first traversal.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
function sum(node: TreeNode<number>): number {
  let total = node.value;
  for (const child of node.children) total += sum(child);
  return total;
}
const t: TreeNode<number> = { value: 1, children: [{ value: 2, children: [] }, { value: 3, children: [] }] };
console.log(sum(t));

Counting Nodes

The same traversal shape counts nodes: one for the current node plus the counts of all subtrees.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
function count<T>(node: TreeNode<T>): number {
  return 1 + node.children.reduce((acc, c) => acc + count(c), 0);
}
const t: TreeNode<string> = { value: "r", children: [{ value: "a", children: [] }] };
console.log(count(t));

Finding the Max Depth

Depth is one plus the maximum depth among children, or one for a leaf with no children.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
function depth<T>(node: TreeNode<T>): number {
  if (node.children.length === 0) return 1;
  return 1 + Math.max(...node.children.map(depth));
}
const t: TreeNode<number> = { value: 1, children: [{ value: 2, children: [{ value: 3, children: [] }] }] };
console.log(depth(t));

Collecting All Values

Flatten a tree into an array by concatenating the current value with the flattened children.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
function flatten<T>(node: TreeNode<T>): T[] {
  return [node.value, ...node.children.flatMap(flatten)];
}
const t: TreeNode<number> = { value: 1, children: [{ value: 2, children: [] }, { value: 3, children: [] }] };
console.log(flatten(t));

Searching the Tree

A recursive search returns the first node matching a predicate, exploring children when the current node does not match.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
function find<T>(node: TreeNode<T>, pred: (v: T) => boolean): TreeNode<T> | null {
  if (pred(node.value)) return node;
  for (const c of node.children) {
    const hit = find(c, pred);
    if (hit) return hit;
  }
  return null;
}
const t: TreeNode<number> = { value: 1, children: [{ value: 5, children: [] }] };
console.log(find(t, v => v === 5)?.value);

Mapping a Tree

Transform every value while preserving structure by recursively mapping the value and the children.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
function mapTree<T, U>(node: TreeNode<T>, fn: (v: T) => U): TreeNode<U> {
  return { value: fn(node.value), children: node.children.map(c => mapTree(c, fn)) };
}
const t: TreeNode<number> = { value: 1, children: [{ value: 2, children: [] }] };
console.log(mapTree(t, x => x * 100).value);

Trees Model Real Data

File systems, DOM trees, org charts, and ASTs are all trees. A single recursive type captures all of them with full type safety.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
type FileTree = TreeNode<string>;
const fs: FileTree = { value: "/", children: [{ value: "home", children: [] }] };
console.log(fs.value, fs.children[0].value);

Leaves and Branches

A node is a leaf when children is empty and a branch otherwise. This distinction often drives traversal logic.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
function isLeaf<T>(node: TreeNode<T>): boolean {
  return node.children.length === 0;
}
console.log(isLeaf({ value: 1, children: [] }));

Quick Check: Tree Structures

Test your understanding of typing tree structures.

Recap: Typing Tree Structures

You modeled trees with TreeNode<T> where each node has a value and an array of child nodes, then wrote recursive functions to sum, count, search, and map over them.

type TreeNode<T> = { value: T; children: TreeNode<T>[] };
const t: TreeNode<number> = { value: 1, children: [{ value: 2, children: [] }] };
console.log(t.children[0].value);

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Typing Tree Structures” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Typing Tree Structures” is free to read here on the web, and the TypeScript Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. 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.

What will I learn in “Typing Tree Structures”?

Model nested tree nodes with recursive types. 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; this is — lesson 2 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Typing Tree Structures” 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.

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