ts-simple-ast/docs/setup/adding-source-files.md

TypeScript compiler wrapper for AST navigation and code generation.

---
title: Adding Source Files
---

## Adding Source Files

You will need to populate the `ast` object with source files.

### By file globs or file paths

Specify as many file globs or file paths as you wish:

```typescript
ast.addExistingSourceFiles("folder/**/*{.d.ts,.ts}");
ast.addExistingSourceFiles("otherFolder/file.ts", "specifyAnotherFile.ts", "orAnotherGlob/**/*.ts");
```

### By file path

```typescript
const sourceFile = ast.addExistingSourceFile("path/to/file.ts"); // or addSourceFileIfExists
```

### By structure

Create source files based on an object that looks like the AST of a source file:

```typescript
const sourceFile = ast.createSourceFile("path/to/myStructureFile.ts", {
    enums: [{
        name: "MyEnum",
        members: [{
            name: "member"
        }]
    }],
    classes: [{
        name: "MyClass",
        // etc...
    }]
    // etc...
});
```

The above would create a source file with the following text:

```typescript
enum MyEnum {
    member
}

class MyClass {
}
```

Note: The file will not be created and saved to the file system until calling `.save()` on the source file.

### By string

```typescript
const fileText = "enum MyEnum {\n}\n";
const sourceFile = ast.createSourceFile("path/to/myNewFile.ts", fileText);
```

Note: The file will not be created and saved to the file system until calling `.save()` on the source file.

### Note

Adding source files to the AST from a structure or text will act like any other source file, but they will not be saved to the disk unless you ask it to be.

```typescript
// save it to the disk if you wish:
sourceFile.save(); // or saveSync();
```