typescript-eslint · Zamiell · Sep 12, 2025 · Sep 12, 2025
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/docs/rules/no-unused-private-class-members.mdx b/packages/eslint-plugin/docs/rules/no-unused-private-class-members.mdx
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+---
+description: 'Disallow unused private class members.'
+---
+
+import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
+import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';
+
+> 🛑 This file is source code, not the primary documentation location! 🛑
+>
+> See **https://typescript-eslint.io/rules/no-unused-private-class-members** for documentation.
+
+This rule extends the base [`eslint/no-unused-private-class-members`](https://eslint.org/docs/rules/no-unused-private-class-members) rule.
+It adds support for members declared with TypeScript's `private` keyword.
+
+## Options
+
+This rule has no options.
+
+## Examples
+
+<Tabs>
+<TabItem value="❌ Incorrect">
+
+```ts
+class A {
+  private foo = 123;
+}
+```
+
+</TabItem>
+<TabItem value="✅ Correct">
+
+```tsx
+class A {
+  private foo = 123;
+
+  constructor() {
+    console.log(this.foo);
+  }
+}
+```
+
+</TabItem>
+</Tabs>
+
+## When Not To Use It
+
+If you don’t want to be notified about unused private class members, you can safely turn this rule off.
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/configs/eslintrc/all.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/configs/eslintrc/all.ts
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ export = {
     '@typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-unary-minus': 'error',
     'no-unused-expressions': 'off',
     '@typescript-eslint/no-unused-expressions': 'error',
+    'no-unused-private-class-members': 'off',
+    '@typescript-eslint/no-unused-private-class-members': 'error',
     'no-unused-vars': 'off',
     '@typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars': 'error',
     'no-use-before-define': 'off',

diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/configs/flat/all.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/configs/flat/all.ts
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ export default (
       '@typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-unary-minus': 'error',
       'no-unused-expressions': 'off',
       '@typescript-eslint/no-unused-expressions': 'error',
+      'no-unused-private-class-members': 'off',
+      '@typescript-eslint/no-unused-private-class-members': 'error',
       'no-unused-vars': 'off',
       '@typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars': 'error',
       'no-use-before-define': 'off',

diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/index.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/index.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ import noUnsafeReturn from './no-unsafe-return';
 import noUnsafeTypeAssertion from './no-unsafe-type-assertion';
 import noUnsafeUnaryMinus from './no-unsafe-unary-minus';
 import noUnusedExpressions from './no-unused-expressions';
+import noUnusedPrivateClassMembers from './no-unused-private-class-members';
 import noUnusedVars from './no-unused-vars';
 import noUseBeforeDefine from './no-use-before-define';
 import noUselessConstructor from './no-useless-constructor';
@@ -222,6 +223,7 @@ const rules = {
   'no-unsafe-type-assertion': noUnsafeTypeAssertion,
   'no-unsafe-unary-minus': noUnsafeUnaryMinus,
   'no-unused-expressions': noUnusedExpressions,
+  'no-unused-private-class-members': noUnusedPrivateClassMembers,
   'no-unused-vars': noUnusedVars,
   'no-use-before-define': noUseBeforeDefine,
   'no-useless-constructor': noUselessConstructor,

diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unused-private-class-members.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unused-private-class-members.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+// The following code is adapted from the code in eslint/eslint.
+// Source: https://github.com/eslint/eslint/blob/522d8a32f326c52886c531f43cf6a1ff15af8286/lib/rules/no-unused-private-class-members.js
+// License: https://github.com/eslint/eslint/blob/522d8a32f326c52886c531f43cf6a1ff15af8286/LICENSE
+
+import type { TSESTree } from '@typescript-eslint/utils';
+
+import { AST_NODE_TYPES } from '@typescript-eslint/utils';
+
+import { createRule } from '../util';
+
+type Options = [];
+export type MessageIds = 'unusedPrivateClassMember';
+
+interface PrivateMember {
+  declaredNode:
+    | TSESTree.MethodDefinitionComputedName
+    | TSESTree.MethodDefinitionNonComputedName
+    | TSESTree.PropertyDefinitionComputedName
+    | TSESTree.PropertyDefinitionNonComputedName;
+  isAccessor: boolean;
+}
+
+export default createRule<Options, MessageIds>({
+  name: 'no-unused-private-class-members',
+  meta: {
+    type: 'problem',
+    docs: {
+      description: 'Disallow unused private class members',
+      extendsBaseRule: true,
+      requiresTypeChecking: false,
+    },
+
+    messages: {
+      unusedPrivateClassMember:
+        "'{{classMemberName}}' is defined but never used.",
+    },
+
+    schema: [],
+  },
+  defaultOptions: [],
+  create(context) {
+    const trackedClassMembers: Map<string, PrivateMember>[] = [];
+
+    /**
+     * The core ESLint rule tracks methods by adding an extra property of
+     * "isUsed" to the method, which is a bug according to Joshua Goldberg.
+     * Instead, in our extended rule, we create a separate data structure to
+     * track whether a method is being used.
+     */
+    const trackedClassMembersUsed = new Set<
+      | TSESTree.MethodDefinitionComputedName
+      | TSESTree.MethodDefinitionNonComputedName
+      | TSESTree.PropertyDefinitionComputedName
+      | TSESTree.PropertyDefinitionNonComputedName
+    >();
+
+    /**
+     * Check whether the current node is in a write only assignment.
+     * @param node Node referring to a private identifier
+     * @returns Whether the node is in a write only assignment
+     * @private
+     */
+    function isWriteOnlyAssignment(
+      node: TSESTree.Identifier | TSESTree.PrivateIdentifier,
+    ): boolean {
+      const parentStatement = node.parent.parent;
+      if (parentStatement == null) {
+        return false;
+      }
+
+      const isAssignmentExpression =
+        parentStatement.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.AssignmentExpression;
+
+      if (
+        !isAssignmentExpression &&
+        parentStatement.type !== AST_NODE_TYPES.ForInStatement &&
+        parentStatement.type !== AST_NODE_TYPES.ForOfStatement &&
+        parentStatement.type !== AST_NODE_TYPES.AssignmentPattern
+      ) {
+        return false;
+      }
+
+      // It is a write-only usage, since we still allow usages on the right for
+      // reads.
+      if (parentStatement.left !== node.parent) {
+        return false;
+      }
+
+      // For any other operator (such as '+=') we still consider it a read
+      // operation.
+      if (isAssignmentExpression && parentStatement.operator !== '=') {
+        // However, if the read operation is "discarded" in an empty statement,
+        // then we consider it write only.
+        return (
+          parentStatement.parent.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.ExpressionStatement
+        );
+      }
+
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // Public
+    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    function processPrivateIdentifier(
+      node: TSESTree.Identifier | TSESTree.PrivateIdentifier,
+    ): void {
+      const classBody = trackedClassMembers.find(classProperties =>
+        classProperties.has(node.name),
+      );
+
+      // Can't happen, as it is a parser error to have a missing class body, but
+      // let's code defensively here.
+      if (classBody == null) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // In case any other usage was already detected, we can short circuit the
+      // logic here.
+      const memberDefinition = classBody.get(node.name);
+      if (memberDefinition == null) {
+        return;
+      }
+      if (trackedClassMembersUsed.has(memberDefinition.declaredNode)) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // The definition of the class member itself
+      if (
+        node.parent.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.PropertyDefinition ||
+        node.parent.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.MethodDefinition
+      ) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Any usage of an accessor is considered a read, as the getter/setter can
+      // have side-effects in its definition.
+      if (memberDefinition.isAccessor) {
+        trackedClassMembersUsed.add(memberDefinition.declaredNode);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Any assignments to this member, except for assignments that also read
+      if (isWriteOnlyAssignment(node)) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const wrappingExpressionType = node.parent.parent?.type;
+      const parentOfWrappingExpressionType = node.parent.parent?.parent?.type;
+
+      // A statement which only increments (`this.#x++;`)
+      if (
+        wrappingExpressionType === AST_NODE_TYPES.UpdateExpression &&
+        parentOfWrappingExpressionType === AST_NODE_TYPES.ExpressionStatement
+      ) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      /*
+       * ({ x: this.#usedInDestructuring } = bar);
+       *
+       * But should treat the following as a read:
+       * ({ [this.#x]: a } = foo);
+       */
+      if (
+        wrappingExpressionType === AST_NODE_TYPES.Property &&
+        parentOfWrappingExpressionType === AST_NODE_TYPES.ObjectPattern &&
+        node.parent.parent?.value === node.parent
+      ) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // [...this.#unusedInRestPattern] = bar;
+      if (wrappingExpressionType === AST_NODE_TYPES.RestElement) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // [this.#unusedInAssignmentPattern] = bar;
+      if (wrappingExpressionType === AST_NODE_TYPES.ArrayPattern) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // We can't delete the memberDefinition, as we need to keep track of which
+      // member we are marking as used. In the case of nested classes, we only
+      // mark the first member we encounter as used. If you were to delete the
+      // member, then any subsequent usage could incorrectly mark the member of
+      // an encapsulating parent class as used, which is incorrect.
+      trackedClassMembersUsed.add(memberDefinition.declaredNode);
+    }
+
+    return {
+      // Collect all declared members/methods up front and assume they are all
+      // unused.
+      ClassBody(classBodyNode): void {
+        const privateMembers = new Map<string, PrivateMember>();
+
+        trackedClassMembers.unshift(privateMembers);
+        for (const bodyMember of classBodyNode.body) {
+          if (
+            (bodyMember.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.PropertyDefinition ||
+              bodyMember.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.MethodDefinition) &&
+            (bodyMember.key.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.PrivateIdentifier ||
+              (bodyMember.key.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.Identifier &&
+                bodyMember.accessibility === 'private'))
+          ) {
+            privateMembers.set(bodyMember.key.name, {
+              declaredNode: bodyMember,
+              isAccessor:
+                bodyMember.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.MethodDefinition &&
+                (bodyMember.kind === 'set' || bodyMember.kind === 'get'),
+            });
+          }
+        }
+      },
+
+      // Process nodes like:
+      // ```ts
+      // class A {
+      //   #myPrivateMember = 123;
+      // }
+      // ```
+      PrivateIdentifier(node): void {
+        processPrivateIdentifier(node);
+      },
+
+      // Process nodes like:
+      // ```ts
+      // class A {
+      //   private myPrivateMember = 123;
+      // }
+      // ```
+      PropertyDefinition(node): void {
+        if (
+          node.accessibility === 'private' &&
+          node.key.type === AST_NODE_TYPES.Identifier
+        ) {
+          processPrivateIdentifier(node.key);
+        }
+      },
+
+      // Post-process the class members and report any remaining members. Since
+      // private members can only be accessed in the current class context, we
+      // can safely assume that all usages are within the current class body.
+      'ClassBody:exit'(): void {
+        const unusedPrivateMembers = trackedClassMembers.shift();
+        if (unusedPrivateMembers == null) {
+          return;
+        }
+
+        for (const [
+          classMemberName,
+          { declaredNode },
+        ] of unusedPrivateMembers.entries()) {
+          if (trackedClassMembersUsed.has(declaredNode)) {
+            continue;
+          }
+          context.report({
+            loc: declaredNode.key.loc,
+            node: declaredNode,
+            messageId: 'unusedPrivateClassMember',
+            data: {
+              classMemberName: `#${classMemberName}`,
+            },
+          });
+        }
+      },
+    };
+  },
+});