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JavaScript: Run a function in a separate thread by using a Web Worker, allowing long running functions to not block the UI

JavaScript: Exercise-151 with Solution

Write a JavaScript program to run a function in a separate thread by using a Web Worker, allowing long running functions to not block the UI.

Note: Create a new Worker using a Blob object URL, the contents of which should be the stringified version of the supplied function. Immediately post the return value of calling the function back. Return a promise, listening for onmessage and onerror events and resolving the data posted back from the worker, or throwing an error.

NOTE: Since the function is running in a different context, closures are not supported. The function supplied to `runAsync` gets stringified, so everything becomes literal. All variables and functions must be defined inside.

  • Create a new Worker() using a Blob object URL, the contents of which should be the stringified version of the supplied function.
  • Immediately post the return value of calling the function back.
  • Return a new Promise(), listening for onmessage and onerror events and resolving the data posted back from the worker, or throwing an error.

Sample Solution:

JavaScript Code:

//#Source https://bit.ly/2neWfJ2 
const runAsync = fn => {
  const worker = new Worker(
    URL.createObjectURL(new Blob([`postMessage((${fn})());`]), {
      type: 'application/javascript; charset=utf-8'
    })
  );
  return new Promise((res, rej) => {
    worker.onmessage = ({ data }) => {
      res(data), worker.terminate();
    };
    worker.onerror = err => {
      rej(err), worker.terminate();
    };
  });
};
const longRunningFunction = () => {
  let result = 0;
  for (let i = 0; i < 1000; i++) {
    for (let j = 0; j < 700; j++) {
      for (let k = 0; k < 300; k++) {
        result = result + i + j + k;
      }
    }
  }
  return result;
};
/*
*/
runAsync(longRunningFunction).then(console.log); // 209685000000
runAsync(() => 10 ** 3).then(console.log); // 1000
let outsideVariable = 50;
runAsync(() => typeof outsideVariable).then(console.log); // 'undefined'

Sample Output:

1000
undefined

Flowchart:

flowchart: Run a function in a separate thread by using a Web Worker, allowing long running functions to not block the UI

Live Demo:

See the Pen javascript-basic-exercise-151-1 by w3resource (@w3resource) on CodePen.


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JavaScript: Tips of the Day

Checking if a key exists in a JavaScript object?

Checking for undefined-ness is not an accurate way of testing whether a key exists. What if the key exists but the value is actually undefined?

var obj = { key: undefined };
obj["key"] !== undefined // false, but the key exists!

You should instead use the in operator:

"key" in obj // true, regardless of the actual value

If you want to check if a key doesn't exist, remember to use parenthesis:

!("key" in obj) // true if "key" doesn't exist in object
!"key" in obj   // ERROR!  Equivalent to "false in obj"

Or, if you want to particularly test for properties of the object instance (and not inherited properties), use hasOwnProperty:

obj.hasOwnProperty("key") // true

Checking for undefined-ness is not an accurate way of testing whether a key exists. What if the key exists but the value is actually undefined? var obj = { key: undefined }; obj["key"] !== undefined // false, but the key exists! You should instead use the in operator: "key" in obj // true, regardless of the actual value If you want to check if a key doesn't exist, remember to use parenthesis: !("key" in obj) // true if "key" doesn't exist in object !"key" in obj // ERROR! Equivalent to "false in obj" Or, if you want to particularly test for properties of the object instance (and not inherited properties), use hasOwnProperty: obj.hasOwnProperty("key") // true For performance comparison between the methods that are in, hasOwnProperty and key is undefined.

Ref: https://bit.ly/2CFNp1X