How to configure react-script so that it doesn't override tsconfig.json on 'start'

I was able to do this by using advice from this issue.

Put the configuration options react scripts likes to remove in a separate file (e.g. paths.json) and reference it from tsconfig.json via the extends directive.

paths.json:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
  "baseUrl": "./src",
  "paths": {
    "interfaces/*": [ "common/interfaces/*"],
    "components/*": [ "common/components/*"],
    }
  }
}

tsconfig.json

{
  "extends": "./paths.json"
   ...rest of tsconfig.json
}

Create React App does not currently support baseUrl. However there is a workaround...to setup baseUrl for both webpack and the IDE you have to do the following:

1. Create a .env file with the following code:

NODE_PATH=./

2. Create a tsconfig.paths.json file with the following code inside:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "baseUrl": "src",
    "paths": {
      "src/*": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

3. Add the following line to tsconfig.json

{
  "extends": "./tsconfig.paths.json",
  ...
}

You can't and I am unsure when you will be able to. I have been trying to use baseUrl and paths so I can avoid relative imports but as you can see they are intentionally removing certain values. The "(yet)" is encouraging but (sigh) who knows when they will officially be supporting it. I recommend subscribing to this github issue to be alerted if/when this changes.

The following changes are being made to your tsconfig.json file:
      - compilerOptions.baseUrl must not be set (absolute imports are not supported (yet))
      - compilerOptions.paths must not be set (aliased imports are not supported)