JavaScript generators are pretty cool. They're like regular functions, but with superpowers. I've been using them a lot lately, and I gotta say, they've changed the way I think about control flow in my code.
Let's start with the basics. A generator is a function that can be paused and resumed. It uses the function* syntax and the yield keyword. Here's a simple example:
function* countToThree() {
yield 1;
yield 2;
yield 3;
}
const counter = countToThree();
console.log(counter.next().value); // 1
console.log(counter.next().value); // 2
console.log(counter.next().value); // 3
See how we can step through the function one yield at a time? That's the magic of generators.
But generators can do so much more than just count. They're great for creating custom iterators. Say you want to generate a Fibonacci sequence:
function* fibonacci() {
let [prev, curr] = [0, 1];
while (true) {
yield curr;
[prev, curr] = [curr, prev + curr];
}
}
const fib = fibonacci();
for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
console.log(fib.next().value);
}
This generator will keep producing Fibonacci numbers forever. It's an infinite sequence, but we only calculate the values we need.
That brings us to one of the coolest things about generators: lazy evaluation. They only compute values when we ask for them. This can be super efficient for large data sets or complex calculations.
Let's look at a more practical example. Say you're building a pagination system for a large dataset:
function* paginate(items, pageSize) {
for (let i = 0; i < items.length; i += pageSize) {
yield items.slice(i, i + pageSize);
}
}
const allItems = Array.from({ length: 100 }, (_, i) => i + 1);
const pageSize = 10;
const pages = paginate(allItems, pageSize);
console.log(pages.next().value); // [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
console.log(pages.next().value); // [11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]
This generator lets us fetch pages of data as we need them, without having to load everything into memory at once.
Generators also shine when it comes to asynchronous programming. They can make async code look and behave more like synchronous code. Here's an example using the co library:
const co = require('co');
function* fetchUserData() {
const user = yield fetchUser();
const posts = yield fetchPosts(user.id);
const comments = yield fetchComments(posts[0].id);
return { user, posts, comments };
}
co(fetchUserData).then(result => {
console.log(result);
}).catch(error => {
console.error(error);
});
This code looks synchronous, but it's actually making three asynchronous calls. The generator pauses at each yield until the promise resolves.
Generators can also be used for cooperative multitasking. You can create multiple generators and switch between them, simulating concurrent execution:
function* task1() {
yield 'Start task 1';
yield 'Middle of task 1';
yield 'End task 1';
}
function* task2() {
yield 'Start task 2';
yield 'Middle of task 2';
yield 'End task 2';
}
function run(tasks) {
const iterations = tasks.map(task => task());
while (iterations.length) {
const [first, ...rest] = iterations;
const { value, done } = first.next();
if (!done) {
console.log(value);
iterations.push(first);
}
iterations.unshift(...rest);
}
}
run([task1, task2]);
This code alternates between the two tasks, running each one step at a time.
Generators are also great for creating state machines. Each yield can represent a different state:
function* trafficLight() {
while (true) {
yield 'red';
yield 'green';
yield 'yellow';
}
}
const light = trafficLight();
console.log(light.next().value); // red
console.log(light.next().value); // green
console.log(light.next().value); // yellow
console.log(light.next().value); // red
This traffic light will keep cycling through its states indefinitely.
Now, let's talk about some more advanced techniques. Generator delegation allows you to yield to another generator:
function* innerGenerator() {
yield 'inner 1';
yield 'inner 2';
}
function* outerGenerator() {
yield 'outer 1';
yield* innerGenerator();
yield 'outer 2';
}
const gen = outerGenerator();
console.log(gen.next().value); // outer 1
console.log(gen.next().value); // inner 1
console.log(gen.next().value); // inner 2
console.log(gen.next().value); // outer 2
The yield* syntax delegates to innerGenerator, yielding all its values before continuing with outerGenerator.
Error handling in generators is also worth mentioning. You can throw errors into a generator using the throw() method:
function* errorGenerator() {
try {
yield 'Start';
yield 'Middle';
yield 'End';
} catch (error) {
console.error('Caught:', error);
yield 'Error handled';
}
}
const gen = errorGenerator();
console.log(gen.next().value); // Start
console.log(gen.throw(new Error('Oops!')).value); // Caught: Error: Oops!
// Error handled
This allows for some pretty sophisticated error handling strategies.
Generators can also be used to implement backtracking algorithms. Here's a simple example that generates all possible combinations of items:
function* combinations(elements, length) {
if (length === 0) {
yield [];
return;
}
for (let i = 0; i < elements.length; i++) {
const first = elements[i];
const rest = elements.slice(i + 1);
for (const combination of combinations(rest, length - 1)) {
yield [first, ...combination];
}
}
}
const items = ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D'];
for (const combo of combinations(items, 2)) {
console.log(combo);
}
This generator will produce all 2-element combinations of the given items.
One area where generators really shine is in processing large amounts of data. You can create efficient data processing pipelines that only compute what's needed. Here's an example that processes a large file line by line:
const fs = require('fs');
const readline = require('readline');
function* lineReader(filename) {
const fileStream = fs.createReadStream(filename);
const rl = readline.createInterface({
input: fileStream,
crlfDelay: Infinity
});
for await (const line of rl) {
yield line;
}
}
async function processFile(filename) {
for await (const line of lineReader(filename)) {
// Process each line here
console.log(line);
}
}
processFile('large_file.txt');
This generator reads the file line by line, allowing you to process huge files without loading them entirely into memory.
Generators can also be used to implement the Observable pattern. Here's a simple implementation:
function* observable() {
while (true) {
const data = yield;
console.log('Received:', data);
}
}
const obs = observable();
obs.next(); // Start the generator
obs.next('Hello'); // Received: Hello
obs.next('World'); // Received: World
obs.next(42); // Received: 42
This generator acts as an observer, processing each piece of data it receives.
One more cool use of generators is for creating custom control structures. Here's an example of a retry function that uses generators:
function* retry(maxAttempts, fn) {
for (let i = 0; i < maxAttempts; i++) {
try {
return yield fn();
} catch (error) {
if (i === maxAttempts - 1) throw error;
console.log(`Attempt ${i + 1} failed, retrying...`);
}
}
}
function* example() {
const result = yield* retry(3, () => {
if (Math.random() < 0.8) throw new Error('Random failure');
return 'Success!';
});
console.log(result);
}
const gen = example();
function run(gen) {
const next = gen.next();
if (!next.done) Promise.resolve(next.value).then(
value => run(gen),
error => gen.throw(error)
);
}
run(gen);
This retry function will attempt the given function up to maxAttempts times before giving up.
In conclusion, generators are a powerful feature of JavaScript that can help you write more expressive, efficient, and maintainable code. They're great for handling complex control flow, managing asynchronous operations, and processing large datasets. While they might seem a bit strange at first, once you get the hang of them, you'll find all sorts of creative ways to use them in your projects. So go ahead, give generators a try in your next JavaScript project. You might be surprised at how much they can simplify your code!
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