import for side effects only does not check path

[poseidonCore]

TypeScript Version: 3.1.0 [TS Playground 23 SEP 2018]
When using import for side effects only, the path does not seem to be checked.

Using import for side effects is useful in extending base classes and preparing an environment and should be checked in the same way as normal import statements.

Search Terms:
import for side effects only
bare import
unnamed import
missing file

Code

import * as x from "./someMissingFile";
/* <<<<< ERROR
Cannot find module './someMissingFile'.
ERROR >>>>> */

import "./someMissingFile";

Expected behavior:
Both should show the same error.

Actual behavior:
Only the first will validate the path, in either Intellisense or TS compilation.

Playground Link: TS Playground

Related Issues:

[RyanCavanaugh]

See #20576, #20767, #20534, #23961

[poseidonCore]

All of these references demonstrate the conflicting and frustrating nature of this issue. If you are not planning to fix this shortcoming, then you should accept it as a language feature and document it ... at least as a warning ...

A few lines under the heading "Import a module for side-effects only" would have avoided many of these duplicate issues:

https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/modules.html