async-call

Yet another async library for nodejs

Installation

npm install async-call

Methods

Flow control methods:

• sequence
• series
• collect

Working with collections:

• each

Async methods expects callbacks to be in the following form

/**
 * @param {...*} args Zero or more parameters
 * @param {function(?*, ...*)} complete Called when method is complete
 */
var callback = function([args, ] complete) {
    if(ok) complete(null /*, results, ...*/); // pass 'null' explicitly if there is no errors
    else complete('error string, object, code, etc..');
};

sequence

Calls set of functions sequentially, passing result of one function to another

var foo = function(a, complete) {
    complete(null, a, 'bar');
};

var bar = function(a, b, complete) {
    complete(null, a + b);
};

async.sequence([foo, bar])('foo', function(err, result) {
    if (err) throw err;
    console.log(result); // foobar
});

series

Calls set of callbacks sequentially providing same initial arguments. Results are ignored

    var foo = function(a, complete) {
        console.log(a);
        complete(null, 'bar');
    };

    var bar = function(b, complete) {
        console.log(b);
        complete(null);
    };

    // outputs : foo foo
    async.series([foo, bar])('foo', function(err) {
        if (err) throw err;
    });

collect

Calls set of callbacks in parallel, providing same inital arguments and collecting values

    var foo = function(a, complete) {
        complete(null, a + 'foo');
    };

    var bar = function(b, complete) {
        complete(null, b + 'bar');
    };

    async.collect([foo, bar])('foo', function(err, res_foo, res_bar) {
        if (err) throw err;
        console.log(res_foo, res_bar); // foofoo foobar
    });

each

Applies callback for each element in the array

    var foo = function(a, complete) {
        complete(null, a + 'foo');
    };

    async.each(foo)(['1', '2', '3'], function(err, result) {
        if (err) throw err;
        console.log(result); // ['1foo', '2foo', '3foo']
    });

Features

Chaining

Methods can be chained together

var split = function(input, complete) {
    var parts = input.split(' ');
    complete(null, parts[0], parts[1]);
};

var buildArray = function(part1, part2, complete) {
    complete(null, [part1, part2]);
};

var addBaz = function(input, complete) {
    complete(null, input + 'baz');
};

var multiply = function(input, complete) {
    complete(null, input + input);
};

var join = function(input, complete) {
    var result = [];
    for (var i in input) result.push(input[i].join('+'));
    complete(null, result.join(' '));
};

var algorithm = async.sequence([
    split,
    buildArray,
    async.each(
        async.collect([
            addBaz,
            multiply
        ])
    ),
    join
]);


algorithm('foo bar', function(err, result) {
    console.log(result); // foobaz+foofoo barbaz+barbar
});

Reusing

Once chain of callbacks in defined, it can be reused with another set of parameters

var foo = function(a, complete) {
    complete(null, a + 'foo');
};

var bar = function(b, complete) {
    complete(null, b + 'bar');
};

var processing = async.sequence([foo, bar, bar]);

processing('foo', function(err, result) {
    if (err) throw err;
    console.log(result); // foofoobarbar
});

processing('bar', function(err, result) {
    if (err) throw err;
    console.log(result); // barfoobarbar
});

Passing context

Context applied to async method will be provided for all callbacks in the set

var foo = function(complete) {
    complete(null, this.foo);
};

var bar = function(arg, complete) {
    complete(null, arg + this.bar);
};

var sequence = async.sequence([foo, bar]);

sequence.call({foo : 'foo', bar : 'bar'}, function(err, result) {
    if (err) throw err;
    console.log(result); // foobar
});


sequence.call({foo:'bar', bar:'baz'}, function(err, result) {
    if (err) throw err;
    console.log(result); // barbaz
});