Type, Interface and Class

Record vs Map

Contrary to a Record which is a type, a Map is a full-fledged data structure for storing the key-value pairs. It provides dedicated methods for adding, retrieving, and deleting entries from the Map.

Record<string, string>

Record<string, string> is semantically equivalent to index signature

{
  [key: string]: string;
};

However, with the index signature, one can customize it further (e.g., restrict certain key names or mix other properties), while Record is strictly a mapping.

type Example3 = {
  [key: string]: string;
  specialKey?: number; // Adds a specific key with its own type
};

When to use each:

• Use Record<string, string> for clean, simple mappings with no additional properties.
• Use { [key: string]: string } when you need flexibility or additional customization.