Delayed
A collection of JavaScript helper functions for your functions, using setTimeout() to delay, defer and debounce
Delayed is designed for use across JavaScript runtimes, including the browser and within Node.js. It is available in npm as "delayed" or can be downloaded.
API
delay()defer()delayed()deferred()debounce()(a.k.acumulativeDelayed())noConflict()
delay(fn, ms)
delay(fn, ms, context)
delay(fn, ms, context, arg1, arg2...)
delay() is an interface to setTimeout() but with better this handling and consistent cross-browser argument passing.
Example:
// print "beep" to the console after 1/2 a seconddelayed { console }delayed// after 5 seconds, `print` is executed with the 3rd argument as `this`// and the 4th and 5th as the argumentsdelay() returns the timer reference from setTimeout() so it's possible to retain it and call clearTimeout(timer) to cancel execution.
defer(fn)
defer(fn, context)
defer(fn, context, arg1, arg2...)
defer() is essentially a shortcut for delay(fn, 1...), which achieves a similar effect to process.nextTick() in Node.js or the proposed setImmediate() that we should start seeing in browsers soon (it exists in IE10). Use it to put off execution until the next time the browser/environment is ready to execute JavaScript. Given differences in timer resolutions across browsers, the exact timing will vary.
Note: future versions of delayed will likely detect for and use setImmediate() for deferred functions.
defer() returns the timer reference from setTimeout() so it's possible to retain it and call clearTimeout(timer) to cancel execution, as long as it's done within the same execution tick.
delayed(fn, ms)
delayed(fn, ms, context)
delayed(fn, ms, context, arg1, arg2...)
Returns a new function that will delay execution of the original function for the specified number of milliseconds when called.
Example:
// a new function that will print "beep" to the console after 1/2 a second when calledvar delayedBeeper = delayed // 1/2 a second later we should see:// beep// beep// beep// each will have executed on a different timerThe new delayed function will return the timer reference from setTimeout() so it's possible to retain it and call clearTimeout(timer) to cancel execution of that particular call.
deferred(fn)
deferred(fn, context)
deferred(fn, context, arg1, arg2...)
Returns a new function that will defer execution of the original function, in the same manner that defer() defers execution.
The new delaying function will return the timer reference from setTimeout() so it's possible to retain it and call clearTimeout(timer) to cancel execution of that particular call, as long as it's done within the same execution tick.
debounce(fn, ms)
debounce(fn, ms, context)
debounce(fn, ms, context, arg1, arg2...)
Also available with the name cumulativeDelayed()
Returns a new function that will delay execution of the original function for the specified number of milliseconds when called. Execution will be further delayed for the same number of milliseconds upon each subsequent call before execution occurs.
The best way to explain this is to show its most obvious use-case: keyboard events in the browser.
Type in hereShow in here debounce() is a way of putting off tasks that need to occur in reaction to potentially repeating events, particularly where the task may be expensive or require some time to execute such as an AJAX call.
In our example, we're reacting to keyboard events but instead of running the render() function each time a key is pressed, we keep on pushing back execution while keyboard events keep coming in. Only when we have a pause in keyboard events of at least 500ms does render() actually get called.
The new delaying function will return the timer reference from setTimeout() so it's possible to retain it and call clearTimeout(timer) to cancel execution of that particular call.
Licence & Copyright
Delayed is Copyright (c) 2014 Rod Vagg <@rvagg> and licensed under the MIT licence. All rights not explicitly granted in the MIT license are reserved. See the included LICENSE.md file for more details.