simple-async

Very light and simple Javascript library to execute asynchronous methods in series or in parallel. Less than 1KB for the minified version!

Getting started

This library requires NodeJS v.0.10.x in order to build the simple-async publish version, and Grunt v.0.4.1. Both of them preferable installed globally.

Install Grunt client globally:

npm install -g grunt-cli

Make a copy of the GIT repository:

git clone git://github.com/jquery/jquery.git

Install the NodeJS peer dependencies:

npm install

Setup the GIT pre-commit hooks:

grunt setup

Methods

There are three public methods:

• sAsync.noConflict(): to coexist this library with another with the same public name sAsync.
• sAsync.doSeries(methods, end): to execute a list of methods in series, no matter they are synchronous, asynchronous or a mix of them, the end callback will be executed at the end and return the result of the execution.
• sAsync.doParallel(methods, end): to execute a list of methods in parallel -similar to the doSeries method-.

Documentation:

/**
 * Returns the simple-async object without overwriting other one.
 *
 * @return {object} Simple-async object.
 */
sAsync.noConflict = function() {};
 
/**
 * Executes asynchronously the array of methods in series and finally call the
 * end method with the result parameter. If there is any error, the 'end'
 * method will be executed before finishing the remaining unfinished methods.
 *
 * @param {function[]} methods Array of methods, example: 'function(next) {}',
 *   the 'next' parameter should be invoqued after method is completed to
 *   execute the next method, if it has a parameter there is an error.
 * @param {function} end Ending method: 'function(result) {}', the 'result'
 *   parameter can be undefined or other value according to a success or
 *   unsuccess result respectively.
 */
sAsync.doSeries = function(methods, end) {};
 
/**
 * Executes asynchronously the array of methods in parallel and finally call
 * the end method with the result parameter. If there is any error, the 'end'
 * method will be executed before finishing the remaining unfinished methods.
 *
 * @param {function[]} methods Array of methods, example: 'function(done) {}',
 *   the 'done' parameter should be invoqued after method is completed to
 *   execute the callback, if it has a parameter there is an error.
 * @param {function} end Ending method: 'function(result) {}', the 'result'
 *   parameter can be undefined or other value according to a success or
 *   unsuccess result respectively.
 */
sAsync.doParallel = function(methods, end) {};

Usage

Next the explanation about how to use simple-async in the browser and in the server.

In the browser

After cloning the GIT repository it is necessary to create the library for the browser. This Grunt task creates the minified version and the development one with the header license:

grunt build

The generated files are located in the publish folder:

• Development: publish/s-async.js
• Minified: publish/s-async.min.js

Use:

<script src="s-async.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
 
<script type="text/javascript">
  sAsync.doSeries(...);
  sAsync.doParallel(...);
</script> 

In the server

Simply download the module simple-async via npm:

npm install simple-async

Use:

var sAsync = require('simple-async');
 
sAsync.doSeries(...);
sAsync.doParallel(...);

Examples

• Executing asynchronous methods in series without error:

sAsync.doSeries([
  function f1(next) {
    setTimeout(function(next) {
      // Do something.
      console.log('f1 finished');
      next();
    }, 100, next);
  },
  function f2(next) {
    setTimeout(function(next) {
      // Do something.
      console.log('f2 finished');
      next();
    }, 200, next);
  }
], function end(result) {
  // Finished, the result will be 'undefined'.
  console.log('finished:', result || 'ok');
});
 
// Output:
// 'f1 finished'
// 'f2 finished'
// 'finished: ok'

• Executing synchronous and asynchronous methods in series with error:

sAsync.doSeries([
  function f1(next) {
    // Do something.
    console.log('f1 finished');
    next();
  },
  function f2(next) {
    setTimeout(function(next) {
      // Do something.
      console.log('f2 finished with error');
      next('error executing f2');
    }, 100, next);
  },
  function f3(next) {
    setTimeout(function(next) {
      // Do something.
      console.log('f3 finished');
      next();
    }, 200, next);
  }
], function end(result) {
  // Finished, the result will not be 'undefined'.
  console.log('finished:', result || 'ok');
});
 
// Output (f3 is never executed due to the f2 error):
// 'f1 finished'
// 'f2 finished with error'
// 'finished: error executing f2'

• Executing asynchronous methods in parallel without error:

sAsync.doParallel([
  function f1(done) {
    console.log('f1 is the third to finish');
    setTimeout(function(done) {
      // Do something.
      console.log('f1 finished');
      done();
    }, 500, done);
  },
  function f2(done) {
    console.log('f2 is the first to finish');
    setTimeout(function(done) {
      // Do something.
      console.log('f2 finished');
      done();
    }, 100, done);
  },
  function f3(done) {
    console.log('f3 is the second to finish');
    setTimeout(function(done) {
      // Do something.
      console.log('f3 finished');
      done();
    }, 300, done);
  }
], function end(result) {
  // Finished, the result will be 'undefined'.
  console.log('finished:', result || 'ok');
});
 
// Output:
// 'f1 is the third to finish'
// 'f2 is the first to finish'
// 'f3 is the second to finish'
// 'f2 finished'
// 'f3 finished'
// 'f1 finished'
// 'finished: ok'

• Executing synchronous and asynchronous methods in parallel with error:

sAsync.doParallel([
  function f1(done) {
    console.log('f1 is the third to finish');
    setTimeout(function(done) {
      // Do something.
      console.log('f1 finished');
      done();
    }, 500, done);
  },
  function f2(done) {
    console.log('f2 is the second to finish');
    setTimeout(function(done) {
      // Do something.
      console.log('f2 finished with error');
      done('error executing f2');
    }, 100, done);
  },
  function f3(done) {
    console.log('f3 is the first to finish');
    // Do something.
    console.log('f3 finished');
    done();
  }
], function end(result) {
  // Finished, the result will not be 'undefined'.
  console.log('finished:', result || 'ok');
});
 
// Output:
// 'f1 is the third to finish'
// 'f2 is the second to finish'
// 'f3 is the first to finish'
// 'f3 finished'
// 'f2 finished with error'
// 'finished: error executing f2'
// 'f1 finished'

Running development tools

• Unit tests using mocha framework:

grunt test

• Javascript linter tools:
  • jshint:

grunt jshint

• Google Closure Linter: gjslint

grunt gjslint

Contributing

In order to mantain this library, anybody can contribute to enhance it, to fix bugs and much more. Take care to:

• Backward compatibility.
• Coding style -use the Grunt tasks: jshint and gjslint-.
• Execute and maintain the unit-tests.

Release History

• v0.0.1: initial version.