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Synchronous vs Asynchronous

  • Synchronous: only one process executing at a time
    • JavaScript is synchronous
    • Execution of further code won't happen until the currently executing code is complete.
    • Long-running processes can make the server (or UI feel unresponsive) until the function has returned
    • Potential for bad user experience
  • Blocking
  • Asynchronous: more than one process running simultaneously
    • Node is asynchronous, the V8 engine is not
    • While V8 is running JavaScript code, converting it to machine language and executing it, Node can do other things as well.
      • Not just let things run inside the V8 engine.
    • Use asynchronous code when performing expensive and time-consuming operations
    • Feels more responsive, especially with multiple users, which will likely be the case for backend development (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
  • Non-blocking
  • Thread
    • A thread is an execution context, which is all the information a CPU needs to execute a stream of instructions.
  • Synchronous vs Asynchronous
    • Synchronous 
      const result = database.query('SELECT * FROM largedatabasetable');
console.log('Hello World');
    • Asynchronous 
      database.query('SELECT * FROM largedatabasetable', (rows) => {
 const result = rows;
 // results of database fetch are used in code here
});
console.log('Hello World');

Callbacks

  • A callback is a function that is passed to another function that will be invoked at some point.
    • The function that we're running calls back, invokes, the function that it has been passed when it is done doing its work.
  • Basic function 
    function greet() {
  console.log('Hello');
}
  • Function with a callback 
    function greet(callback) {
  console.log('Hello');
  callback();
}

greet(() => {
  console.log('The callback was invoked.');
});
  • Function with multiple callbacks 
    function greet(callback) {
  console.log('Hello');
  callback();
}

greet(() => {
  console.log('The callback was invoked.');
});

greet(() => {
  console.log('A different callback was invoked.');
});
- Function with multiple callbacks with arguments
```js
function greet(callback) {
  console.log('Hello');

  var data = {
    firstname: 'Jennifer',
    lastname: 'Smith'
  };

  callback(data);
}

greet((data) => {
  console.log('The callback was invoked, ' + data.firstname);
});

greet((data) => {
  console.log('A different callback was invoked, ' + data.lastname);
});
  • Function with multiple parameters, including one that is a callback 
    function greet(name, callback) {
  console.log('hello ' + name + ' ');

  var fullname = {
    firstname: 'Jennifer',
    lastname: 'Smith'
  };

  callback(fullname);
}

greet('Spruce', (data) => {
  console.log('the callback was invoked: ', data.firstname);
});

greet('Brenna', (data) => {
  console.log('this is a different callback: ', data.lastname);
});
  • Callback Pattern

Asynchronous File Read Demo

  • Create javascript file
  • Create text file in same directory
  • Synchronous File Read - HAVE STUDENTS DO THIS PART
    • Valid use case might be a configuration file that needs to be read before any other code can be run
    • Buffer translates file contents to values that mean things to us
    const fs = require('fs');

const contents = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/fileexample.txt', 'utf8');
console.log(contents);
  • Asynchronous File Read
    • In most cases, you don't want file read to be synchronous because you have many users requesting information from your server
      • We don't want each user to have to wait on all the users who requested prior
    • Per the Node docs, we can see that the callback that .readFile() expects takes two parameters, error and data, in that order
      • Error-First Callback Pattern: Callbacks that take an error object as their first parameter. If there is no error, that value is null. This is a general standard in Node.
    • The JavaScript will be running via V8 while simultaneously the underlying event loop is asking the operating system to read the contents of the file
      • The Event Loop will invoke my callback once the file read is complete
    • Add readFile() call 
      const fs = require('fs');

const contents = fs.readFileSync('fileexample.txt', 'utf8');
console.log(contents);

fs.readFile('fileexample.txt', 'utf8', (err, data) => {
  console.log(data);
});
    • Prove it is asynchronous
      • What order will the logs print?
      • Go over our code in diagram
      const fs = require('fs');

console.log('BEFORE ASYNC CALL');
fs.readFile('fileexample.txt', 'utf8', (err, data) => {
  console.log('READ FILE CALLBACK');
  console.log(data);
});
console.log('AFTER ASYNC CALL');
    • Demonstrate errors by removing text file 
      const fs = require('fs');

const contents = fs.readFileSync('fileexample.txt', 'utf8');
console.log(contents);

fs.readFile('fileexample.txt', (err, data) => {
  console.log(err);
  console.log(data);
});

Problems With Callbacks

  • Callback Pyramid of Doom

SetTimeout

  • Built in function
  • Which log statement will print out first?
setTimeout(() => {
    console.log('waiting');
}, 1000);

setTimeout(() => {
    console.log('still waiting');
}, 500)