set-worker-timer

The window timer methods setTimeout and setInterval, recreated with Web Workers.

Description

In "unfocussed" windows, the definition of which varies from browser to browser, the built-in setTimeout and setInterval methods are severely throttled as a performance optimisation. set-worker-timer acts as a work-around by executing window timers in the Worker thread which is not susceptible to this behaviour.

This package is an alternative to the popular worker-timers, opting to recreate timer functionality as closely as possible to the original API. This includes overlooked features such as indefinite arguments, and downright questionable ones such as string execution using eval(). User discretion is advised.

Getting Started

Installation

npm install set-worker-timer

Import

import { 
    setWorkerTimeout, 
    setWorkerInterval,
    clearWorkerTimer
} from 'set-worker-timer':

set-worker-timer attaches to the global scope so imports from any file always link back to the same class instantation.

Usage

Set

const timeoutId = setWorkerTimeout(() => {
    // execute callback after 100ms
}, 100);

const intervalId = setWorkerInterval(() => {
    // execute callback every 100ms
}, 100);

Clear

clearWorkerTimer(timeoutId);
clearWorkerTimer(intervalId);

set-worker-timer uses one callback list and one Worker so either type of timer can be cleared with the same method.

Features

Indefinite Arguments

Supply arguments to the timer to be passed as parameters to your callback function.

setWorkerTimeout((foo, bar) => {
    // execute callback with parameters
}, 100, "foo", "bar")

String Execution (not recommended)

Pass a string to be executed using eval().

setWorkerTimeout('() => {
    // execute unsafe callback
}', 100);

Contributors

@lawrence-witt

Changelog

• 0.2.0 - 01/04/2021

  • Remove esmodule build.
  • Combine clear methods into clearWorkerTimer.

• 0.1.0 - 01/04/2021

  • Initial release.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE.md file for details.