Why Would Anyone Need JavaScript Generator Functions?

Re:Why Would Anyone Need JavaScript Generator Functions? by jitl on Monday November 07, 2022 @04:12PM (#33512530)

It's very easy to make sync code async. Just add an `async` to the function declaration. You don't need the `instanceof` check or `Promise.resolve` - you can `await` any type of value; it'll get unwrapped as a Promise if it has a `then` method, or otherwise just give you back the value. See [MDN for await].

If that's okay for your code, then go for it. However, downgrading a sync function to be async has serious performance implications - turning a trivial sync function call in a tight loop into an awaited async function call will make your loop 90%+ slower [benchmark]. You're also going to allocate much more memory for Promise objects. The code I linked above is from a library implementing a sandboxed Javascript VM. If we forced all calls into the guest sandbox, or from the guest sandbox back to host functions like `console.log`, to be async, the VM would be unusable for many applications.

[MDN for await]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Refe...

[benchmark]: https://jsbench.me/y0la7auape/2

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Re:Why Would Anyone Need JavaScript Generator Functions? by qazxcvbnm on Tuesday November 08, 2022 @12:20AM (#33516115)

OP's technique is useful for a consumer of a another function, to consume it in a synchronity-agnostic manner. In the implementation of the function consumer, you should find the usage of OP's technique.

In other words, this technique allows a library's implementation and interface to be synchronity-agnostic, but it does not say anything about the library user. If the library user likewise makes use of the OP technique, the library user code will remain synchronity-agnostic, otherwise it will be tied to be either synchronous or be asynchronous (parametrised to the synchronity).

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