[api-extractor] Unable to follow symbol for "const" (part 2)

[rickosborne]

Summary

This produces the same error as #3875 but has a very different repro.

Exporting and documenting a value as const causes the Unable to follow symbol for "const" error.

Repro steps

Type defs:

/**
 * Mixin added to function call options to indicate whether it should
 * throw, or silently swallow the error.
 */
export interface ThrowOnError {
	throwOnError?: boolean;
}

/**
 * Value of {@link ThrowOnError} which will avoid throwing.
 */
export const NO_THROW = {
	throwOnError: false,
} as const satisfies ThrowOnError;

Note the last line. I have it as const and I don't have it typed as ThrowOnError so I don't throw away the false value, but I also have satisfies so I can ensure I don't mistype it.

Note that the error still occurs if you remove satisfies. I'm leaving it here for context.

Workarounds:

• Remove as const
• Add @internal to the tsdoc.

Expected result: No error

Actual result: Error: Unable to follow symbol for "const"

Details

Above.

Standard questions

Please answer these questions to help us investigate your issue more quickly:

Question	Answer
@microsoft/api-extractor version?	7.49.1
Operating system?	macOS Sonoma 14.7 on M1 Air
API Extractor scenario?	Extractor.invoke
Would you consider contributing a PR?	Not familiar at all with the codebase
TypeScript compiler version?	5.7.3
Node.js version (node -v)?	v20.17.0

[rickosborne]

Slight edit: Adding @internal doesn't act as a workaround — it still errors. I must have been confused.

[rickosborne]

For posterity, I've found another workaround: don't export the as const value directly. Instead, split it into two variables, one with as const and the other with export:

/**
 * Mixin added to function call options to indicate whether it should
 * throw, or silently swallow the error.
 */
export interface ThrowOnError {
	throwOnError?: boolean;
}

// This is distinct from NO_THROW below due to a bug in api-extractor:
// https://github.com/microsoft/rushstack/issues/5077
const DO_NOT_THROW = Object.freeze({
	throwOnError: false,
} as const satisfies ThrowOnError);

/**
 * Value of {@link ThrowOnError} which will avoid throwing.
 */
export const NO_THROW = DO_NOT_THROW;

At a doc level, this still produces the correct ApiVariable.excerpt:

NO_THROW: Readonly<{
    readonly throwOnError: false;
}>