add promise queue

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Ilya Kantor 2019-03-06 23:27:31 +03:00
parent 1373f6158c
commit 16cfa3037b
27 changed files with 160 additions and 36 deletions

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@ -214,9 +214,13 @@ The call `.catch(f)` is a complete analog of `.then(null, f)`, it's just a short
### finally
The call `.finally(f)` is similar to `.then(f, f)`, it always runs when the promise is settled: be it resolve or reject.
Just like there's a finally clause in a regular `try {...} catch {...}`, there's `finally` in promises.
The idea is that we can perform cleanup in it, e.g. stop our loading indicators in `finally`, as they are not needed any more, like this:
The call `.finally(f)` is similar to `.then(f, f)` in the sense that it always runs when the promise is settled: be it resolve or reject.
It is a good handler to perform cleanup, e.g. to stop our loading indicators in `finally`, as they are not needed any more, no matter what the outcome is.
Like this:
```js
new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@ -231,7 +235,7 @@ new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
It's not exactly an alias though. There are several important differences:
1. A `finally` handler has no arguments. In `finally` we don't know whether the promise is successful or not. We shouldn't need to know it, as our task is usually to perform "general" finalizing procedures.
1. A `finally` handler has no arguments. In `finally` we don't know whether the promise is successful or not. That's all right, as our task is usually to perform "general" finalizing procedures.
2. Finally passes through results and errors to the next handler.
For instance, here the result is passed through `finally` to `then`:
@ -240,7 +244,7 @@ It's not exactly an alias though. There are several important differences:
setTimeout(() => resolve("result"), 2000)
})
.finally(() => alert("Promise ready"))
.then(result => alert(result)); // result
.then(result => alert(result)); // <-- .then handles the result
```
And here there's an error in the promise, passed through `finally` to `catch`:
@ -250,14 +254,14 @@ It's not exactly an alias though. There are several important differences:
throw new Error("error");
})
.finally(() => alert("Promise ready"))
.catch(err => alert(err)); // error
.catch(err => alert(err)); // <-- .catch handles the error object
```
That's very convenient, because finally is not meant to process promise results. So it passes them through.
We'll talk about promise chaining and passing around results in more detail in the next chapter.
We'll talk more about promise chaining and result-passing between handlers in the next chapter.
3. The last, but not the least, `.finally(f)` is more convenient syntax than `.then(f, f)`: there's no need to duplicate a function.
3. The last, but not the least, `.finally(f)` is a more convenient syntax than `.then(f, f)`: no need to duplicate the function.
````smart header="On settled promises handlers runs immediately"
If a promise is pending, `.then/catch/finally` handlers wait for the result. Otherwise, if a promise has already settled, they execute immediately:
@ -269,33 +273,7 @@ let promise = new Promise(resolve => resolve("done!"));
promise.then(alert); // done! (shows up right now)
```
Some tasks may sometimes require time and sometimes finish immediately. The good thing is: the `.then` handler is guaranteed to run in both cases.
````
````smart header="Handlers of `.then`/`.catch`/`.finally` are always asynchronous"
Even when the Promise is immediately resolved, code which occurs on lines *below* your `.then`/`.catch`/`.finally` may still execute first.
The JavaScript engine has an internal execution queue which gets all `.then/catch/finally` handlers.
But it only looks into that queue when the current execution is finished. In other words, the handlers are pending execution until the engine is done with the current code.
For instance, here:
```js run
// an "immediately" resolved Promise
const executor = resolve => resolve("done!");
const promise = new Promise(executor);
promise.then(alert); // this alert shows last (*)
alert("code finished"); // this alert shows first
```
The promise becomes settled immediately, but the engine first finishes the current code, calls `alert("code finished")`, and only *afterwards* looks into the queue to run `.then` handler.
So the code *after* `.then` ends up always running *before* the Promise's subscribers, even in the case of an immediately-resolved Promise.
Sometimes that's unimportant, while in some scenarios the order may matter a great deal.
The good thing is: `.then` handler is guaranteed to run whether the promise takes time or settles it immediately.
````
Next, let's see more practical examples of how promises can help us to write asynchronous code.

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@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
# Promise handlers queue
Promise handlers `.then`/`.catch`/`.finally` are always asynchronous.
Even when a Promise is immediately resolved, the code on the lines *below* your `.then`/`.catch`/`.finally` may still execute first.
Here's the code that demonstrates it:
```js run
// an "immediately" resolved Promise
new Promise(resolve => resolve("promise done!"))
.then(alert); // this alert shows after the alert below
alert("code finished"); // this alert shows first
```
If you run it, you see `code finished` first, and then `promise done!`.
What's going on?
# Internal queue
Asynchronous tasks need proper management. For that, the standard specifies an internal queue of "Promise Jobs".
As said in the [specification](https://tc39.github.io/ecma262/#sec-jobs-and-job-queues):
- The queue is first-in-first-out: jobs that get enqueued first are run first.
- Execution of a job is initiated only when there is no running execution context, and the execution context stack is empty.
When a promise is ready, its `.then/catch/finally` handler is not executed right ahead. Instead, the handling is put into the queue.
Javascript engine takes a job from the queue and executes it, when it finishes executing the current code.
That's why "code finished" in the example above shows first.
![](promiseQueue.png)
If there's a chain with multiple `.then/catch/finally`, then every one of them is executed asynchronously. In other words, it first gets queued, and then executed, when all handlers before it are finished.
What if the order matters for us, and we want to see `code finished` after `promise done`?
Easy, just put it into the queue:
```js run
new Promise(resolve => resolve("promise done!"))
.then(alert)
.then(() => alert("code finished");
```
Now the order is as intended.
## Higher-order queues
There are other action queues, depending on the environment.
For instance, `setTimeout` enqueues an action when the time comes, or even right now if the timeout is zero:
```js
setTimeout(handler, 0); // handler is queued for immediate execution.
```
Other examples:
- Pending events (like mouse movements in the browser)
- Network operations that may take time, or may finish immediately if the result is cached.
**Promise queue has higher priority than environment-related queues.**
For instance, take a look:
```js run
setTimeout(() => alert("timeout"), 0);
new Promise(resolve => resolve("promise"))
.then(alert);
alert("code");
```
1. `code` shows first, it's a regular synchronous call.
2. `promise` shows second, because `.then` passes through the promise queue, runs after the current code.
3. `timeout` shows last, because environment-specific queue has lower priority.
That's also true for more complex calls, e.g if we schedule an immediate `setTimeout` call inside the promise, then it also executes last:
```js run
new Promise(resolve => {
setTimeout(() => alert("timeout"), 0);
resolve("promise"); // shows up first
}).then(alert);
```
Here also `promise` triggers first, because promise actions have higher priority.
## Summary
Promise handling is always async, as all promise actions pass through the internal "promise jobs" queue.
**So, `.then/catch/finally` is called after the current code is finished.**
If we need to guarantee that a piece of code is executed after `.then/catch/finally`, it's best to add it into a chained `.then` call.
Other environments may have their own async actions, like events, network-related calls, filesystem tasks, and `setTimeout`-scheduled calls.
**Environment-specific async actions happen after the code is finished *and* after the promise queue is empty.**
In other words, they have lower priority.
So we know for sure a promise chain goes as far as possible first. It may finish or hang waiting for something outside of the promise queue, and only then an event-related handler or `setTimeout` may trigger.

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@ -281,6 +281,34 @@ In case of an error, it propagates as usual: from the failed promise to `Promise
````
## Async/await versus other async actions
Some async stuff is more asynchronous than the other.
For instance, `setTimeout(handler, 0)` is async, and `let x = await f()` is async. What triggers first?
```js run
async function f() {
return 1;
}
(async () => {
setTimeout(() => alert('timeout'), 0);
await f();
alert('await');
})();
```
There's no ambiguity here: `await` always finishes first.
Remember promise queue from the chapter <info:promise-queue>? Promise `.then/catch/finally` handlers get queued, and then executed when the currently running code is complete. By specification, the promise queue has higher priority than environment-specific handlers.
`Async/await` is based on promises, so it uses the same promise queue internally.
So `await` is guaranteed to work before any `setTimeout` or other event handlers. That's actually quite essential, as we know that our async/await will never be interrupted by other handlers or events.
## Summary
The `async` keyword before a function has two effects: