Readme for idleTaskScheduler Library

Overview

The idleTaskScheduler library provides a higher-order function for efficiently scheduling asynchronous tasks. It leverages requestIdleCallback or setTimeout to execute tasks during idle times, ensuring the main thread is not blocked. This is particularly useful for preloading components or data in web applications without impacting user experience.

NOTE: Safari does not support requestIdleCallback and will use setTimeout instead.

Installation

npm install idle-task-scheduler

or

yarn add idle-task-scheduler

Usage

Importing the Library

import idleTaskScheduler from 'idle-task-scheduler';

Basic Usage

Wrap your promise function with idleTaskScheduler to schedule it during idle times:

const fetchData = () => {
  return new Promise((resolve) => {
    // Your asynchronous data fetching logic
    resolve(data);
  });
};

const scheduledFetch = idleTaskScheduler(fetchData);

With Custom Options

You can provide custom options such as timeout:

const scheduledFetch = idleTaskScheduler(fetchData, { timeout: 8000 });

API

idleTaskScheduler

• Type: <Args extends unknown[], Return>(promiseFn: (...args: Args) => Promise<Return>, options?: Options) => Promise<Return>
• Description: Schedules a promise function to execute during the browser's idle periods, minimizing impact on the main thread.

Parameters

• promiseFn: The promise function containing your asynchronous task.
• options: An optional object for configuration.
  • timeout: (Optional) The maximum time in milliseconds the task is allowed to run before returning. Defaults to 5000ms.

requestIdleCallback (Internal Use)

• Description: A polyfill for requestIdleCallback, used when it's not available in the window object.
• Parameters:
  • cb: The callback function to be executed.
  • options: An object containing the timeout property.

Compatibility

idleTaskScheduler is designed for use in web browser environments and checks for the presence of the window object.

Contributing

We welcome contributions to enhance the idleTaskScheduler library. Please refer to our contributing guidelines for more information.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. Check the LICENSE file for full details.

Note: Users should have a basic understanding of promises and asynchronous JavaScript to effectively utilize idleTaskScheduler. The library is particularly beneficial in scenarios where non-blocking operations are critical, such as in complex web applications.