Develop Reference

Javascript Promise doesn't wait for execution

I'm building an app that interacts with smart contracts using ethers.js.
I would like to call a smart contract method (it returns a promise) and then after the execution doing some stuffs on the UI.
I did the following:
async function getAllowance(address: string) {
try {
if (contrastState != null) {
return await signedTokenContract?.allowance(address, contrastState.address)
} else throw new Error('Contract or signer is null or undefined check connect method results')
} catch (e) {
console.log('connect error', e)
}
}
Then I use the method on the UI using the useLayoutEffect:
useLayoutEffect(() => {
async function initialize() {
setLoading(true)
const allowance = await getAllowance(address).then(allowance => {
setAllowedNumber(allowance)
console.log('Then allowance ' + allowance)
setLoading(false)
})
}
initialize()
}, [])
The problem I experience is that the code in the then is called before the end of the promise, and then I get the following log:
'Then allowance: undefined'
I used promises many times. Can you tell me where I'm wrong?
Thanks

When handling promises, either use async/await or then syntax
const allowance = await getAllowance(address);
setAllowedNumber(allowance);
// OR
getAllowance(address).then(allowance => {
setAllowedNumber(allowance);
});

JavaScript: differences between async error handling with async/await and then/catch

Just wanted to preemptively say that I am familiar with async/await and promises in JavaScript so no need to link me to some MDN pages for that.
I have a function to fetch user details and display it on the UI.
async function someHttpCall() {
throw 'someHttpCall error'
}
async function fetchUserDetails() {
throw 'fetchUserDetails error'
}
function displayUserDetails(userDetails) {
console.log('userDetails:', userDetails)
}
async function fetchUser() {
try {
const user = await someHttpCall()
try {
const details = await fetchUserDetails(user)
returndisplayUserDetails(details)
} catch (fetchUserDetailsError) {
console.log('fetching user error', fetchUserDetailsError)
}
} catch (someHttpCallError) {
console.log('networking error:', someHttpCallError)
}
}
It first makes HTTP call via someHttpCall and if it succeeds then it proceeds to fetchUserDetails and it that succeeds as well then we display the details on Ui via returndisplayUserDetails.
If someHttpCall failed, we will stop and not make fetchUserDetails call. In other words, we want to separate the error handling for someHttpCall and it’s data handling from fetchUserDetails
The function I wrote is with nested try catch blocks which doesn't scale well if the nesting becomes deep and I was trying to rewrite it for better readability using plain then and catch
This was my first atttempt
function fetchUser2() {
someHttpCall()
.then(
(user) => fetchUserDetails(user),
(someHttpCallError) => {
console.log('networking error:', someHttpCallError)
}
)
.then(
(details) => {
displayUserDetails(details)
}, //
(fetchUserDetailsError) => {
console.log('fetching user error', fetchUserDetailsError)
}
)
}
The problem with this is that the second then will run i.e. displayUserDetails even with someHttpCall failing. To avoid this I had to make the previous .catch blocks throw
so this is the updated version
function fetchUser2() {
someHttpCall()
.then(
(user) => fetchUserDetails(user),
(someHttpCallError) => {
console.log('networking error:', someHttpCallError)
throw someHttpCallError
}
)
.then(
(details) => {
displayUserDetails(details)
}, //
(fetchUserDetailsError) => {
console.log('fetching user error', fetchUserDetailsError)
}
)
}
However now the second catch will get called as a result of the throw. So when the someHttpCall failed, after we handled the someHttpCallError error, we would enter this block (fetchUserDetailsError) => { console.log('fetching user error', fetchUserDetailsError) } which is not good since fetchUserDetails never gets called so we shouldn't need to handle fetchUserDetailsError (I know someHttpCallError became fetchUserDetailsError in this case)
I can add some conditional checks in there to distinguish the two errors but it seems less ideal. So I am wondering how I can improve this by using .then and .catch to achieve the same goal here.

I am wondering how I can improve this by using .then and .catch to achieve the same goal here
You don't get to avoid the nesting if you want to replicate the same behaviour:
function fetchUser2() {
return someHttpCall().then(
(user) => {
return fetchUserDetails(user).then(
(details) => {
return displayUserDetails(details)
},
(fetchUserDetailsError) => {
console.log('fetching user error', fetchUserDetailsError)
}
)
},
(someHttpCallError) => {
console.log('networking error:', someHttpCallError)
throw someHttpCallError
}
)
}
(The exact equivalent to try/catch would use .then(…).catch(…) instead of .then(…, …), but you might not actually want that.)
The function I wrote is [nested] which doesn't scale well if the nesting becomes deep and I was trying to rewrite it for better readability […]
For that, I would recommend to combine await with .catch():
async function fetchUser() {
try {
const user = await someHttpCall().catch(someHttpCallError => {
throw new Error('networking error', {cause: someHttpCallError});
});
const details = await fetchUserDetails(user).catch(fetchUserDetailsError => {
throw new Error('fetching user error', {cause: fetchUserDetailsError});
});
return displayUserDetails(details);
} catch (someError) {
console.log(someError.message, someError.cause);
}
}
(The cause option for Error is still quite new, you might need a polyfill for that)

I can add some conditional checks in there to distinguish the two errors but it seems less ideal.
Actually, that sounds like an ideal situation. That means that you don't have to nest any try / catch blocks which could make you code a lot more readable. This is one of the things that async / await is meant to solve.
A solution could be is to create custom errors by extending the Error interface to be able to determine how and where the error occurs.
class CustomError extends Error {
constructor(name, ...args) {
super(...args)
this.name = name
}
}
Throw your errors within the functions that correspond with the error.
async function someHttpCall() {
throw new CustomError('HttpCallError', 'someHttpCall error');
}
async function fetchUserDetails(user) {
throw new CustomError('UserDetailsError', 'fetchUserDetails error')
}
Now you can control your error flow by checking the name property on the error to differentiate your errors.
async function fetchUser() {
try {
const user = await someHttpCall()
const details = await fetchUserDetails(user)
return displayUserDetails(details)
} catch (error) {
switch(error.name) {
case 'HttpCallError':
console.log('Networking error:', error)
break
case 'UserDetailsError':
console.log('Fetching user error', error)
break
}
}
}

I've been inspired by Rust's Result type (which forces you to handle every potential error along the way).
So what I do is handle exceptions in every individual function, and never allow one to throw, instead returning either an Error (if something went wrong) or the desired return value (if no exception occurred). Here's an example of how I do it (comments included):
TS Playground
If you aren't familiar with TypeScript, you can see the JavaScript-only version of the following code (with no type information) at the TypeScript Playground link above (on the right side of the page).
// This is the code in my exception-handling utility module:
// exception-utils.ts
export type Result <T = void, E extends Error = Error> = T | E;
export function getError (value: unknown): Error {
return value instanceof Error ? value : new Error(String(value));
}
export function isError <T>(value: T): value is T & Error {
return value instanceof Error;
}
export function assertNotError <T>(value: T): asserts value is Exclude<T, Error> {
if (value instanceof Error) throw value;
}
// This is how to use it:
// main.ts
import {assertNotError, getError, isError, type Result} from './exception-utils.ts';
/**
* Returns either Error or string ID,
* but won't throw because it catches exceptions internally
*/
declare function getStringFromAPI1 (): Promise<Result<string>>;
/**
* Requires ID from API1. Returns either Error or final number value,
* but won't throw because it catches exceptions internally
*/
declare function getNumberFromAPI2 (id: string): Promise<Result<number>>;
/**
* Create version of second function with no parameter required:
* Returns either Error or final number value,
* but won't throw because it catches exceptions internally
*
* The previous two functions work just like this, using the utilities
*/
async function fetchValueFromAPI2 (): Promise<Result<number>> {
try {
const id = await getStringFromAPI1(); // Error or string
assertNotError(id); // throws if `id` is an Error
return getNumberFromAPI2(id); // Error or number
}
catch (ex) {
return getError(ex);
}
}
async function doSomethingWithValueFromAPI2 (): Promise<void> {
const value = await fetchValueFromAPI2(); // value is number or Error
if (isError(value)) {
// handle error
}
else console.log(value); // value is number at this point
}

Handle errors in a reusable fetch function

I am writing a reusable fetch function (that's going to live in a separate file) and I am not too sure about the best approach to handle a function returning a null.
Say I am want to call that function and apply some logic when getOrganizationInfo doesn't return organization info. At the moment my function returns an error but falls into the first if (organization) block and I can't really handle that. I then need to use that error message to use it in the handleSubmit e.g. showError(error). What shall I do to take advantage of this else logic?
const orgName = 'ABC';
const handleSubmit = async () => {
const organization = await getOrganizationInfo(orgName);
if (organization) {
// Do something
} else {
// Do something else
}
}
Here's my function
export const getOrganizationInfo = async (
organizationName: string,
): Promise<OrganizationInfoResponse> => {
let organizationInfoResponse: OrganizationInfoResponse;
try {
const rawRes = await fetch(`/sometestendpoint/${organizationName}`, {
method: 'GET',
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
},
});
organizationInfoResponse = await rawRes.json();
if (rawRes.status >= 400) {
if (organizationInfoResponse.errorCode === ErrorCodes.INVALID_ORG_NAME) {
throw new Error('Given Organization Name is invalid');
} else {
throw new Error('Unable to get organization information.');
}
}
} catch (error) {
// organizationInfoResponse = error.toString();
throw new Error(error.toString());
}
return organizationInfoResponse;
};

The code as provided in your question will do the following when it gets into the catch block:
It executes throw new Error(error.toString())
The promise in the following expression will reject: await getOrganizationInfo(orgName)
The promise that was returned by handleSubmit will reject
None of the code in handleSubmit that follows below this await will execute
So what you claim to happen is not happening. Maybe you were talking about the version of your code where the catch block did not have that throw, but had the commented line instead:
catch (error) {
organizationInfoResponse = error.toString();
}
In that case the code will "fall into the if", because then the error is swallowed by the above catch block:
The function continues with return organizationInfoResponse
The promise in the following expression will fulfill: await getOrganizationInfo(orgName)
The function execution context of handleSubmit is restored and organization is assigned the fulfilment value (i.e. error.toString())
The if (organization) condition is truthy, and so the if block executes
Solution
To get the else block executed, use the throw version of your code, and either introduce a try...catch block in handleSubmit, or (simpler) chain a .then and .catch call on the promise:
const handleSubmit = () => {
return getOrganizationInfo(orgName).then(organisation => {
if (!organisation) throw new Error("Organisation is falsy");
// Do something
}).catch(error => {
// Do something else
});
}

How to test status of a promise inside Promise.finally() without awaiting it in production code

I am using Promise.prototype.finally() (or try-catch-finally in an async function) in my production code to execute some follow-up code without changing resolution/rejection status of the current promise.
However, in my Jest tests, I would like to detect that the Promise inside finally block wasn't rejected.
edit: But I don't want to actually await the Promise in my "production" code (there I care only about errors re-thrown from catch, but not about errors from finally).
How can I test for that? Or at least how to mock the Promise.prototype to reject the current promise on exceptions from finally?
E.g. if I would be testing redux action creators, the tests pass even though there is a message about an unhandled Promise rejection:
https://codesandbox.io/s/reverent-dijkstra-nbcno?file=/src/index.test.js
test("finally", async () => {
const actions = await dispatchMock(add("forgottenParent", { a: 1 }));
const newState = actions.reduce(reducer, undefined);
expect(newState).toEqual({});
});
const dispatchMock = async thunk => {...};
// ----- simplified "production" code -----
const reducer = (state = {}, action) => state;
const add = parentId => async dispatch => {
dispatch("add start");
try {
await someFetch("someData");
dispatch("add success");
} catch (e) {
dispatch("add failed");
throw e;
} finally {
dispatch(get(parentId)); // tests pass if the promise here is rejected
}
};
const get = id => async dispatch => {
dispatch("get start");
try {
await someFetch(id);
dispatch("get success");
} catch (e) {
dispatch("get failed");
throw e;
}
};
const someFetch = async id => {
if (id === "forgottenParent") {
throw new Error("imagine I forgot to mock this request");
}
Promise.resolve(id);
};

dispatch(get(parentId)); // tests pass if an exception is thrown here
There is no exception throw in that line. get(parentId) might return a rejected promise (or a pending promise that will get rejected later), but that's not an exception and won't affect control flow.
You might be looking for
const add = parentId => async dispatch => {
dispatch("add start");
try {
await someFetch("someData");
dispatch("add success");
} catch (e) {
dispatch("add failed");
throw e;
} finally {
await dispatch(get(parentId));
// ^^^^^
}
};
Notice that throwing exceptions from a finally block is not exactly a best practice though.

edit: more general solutions available on https://stackoverflow.com/a/58634792/1176601
It is possible to store the Promise in a variable accessible in some helper function that is used only for the tests, e.g.:
export const _getPromiseFromFinallyInTests = () => _promiseFromFinally
let _promiseFromFinally
const add = parentId => async dispatch => {
...
} finally {
// not awaited here because I don't want to change the current Promise
_promiseFromFinally = dispatch(get(parentId));
}
};
and update the test to await the test-only Promise:
test("finally", async () => {
...
// but I want to fail the test if the Promise from finally is rejected
await _getPromiseFromFinallyInTests()
});

Not able to catch exception from promise, error response is undefined

I've got some basic Javascript code that calls a stock API with symbols where the symbols are provided from a simple HTTP call like this:
GET http://localhost:4000/batch_stock_prices/?stocks=12312.
I believe I am misunderstanding the syntax for how to catch an exception from a promise..
An exception gets thrown that 12312 is an invalid symbol which I expect, on the terminal running the node server I see the exception but I'm not able to pass it back in the HTTP response. The error that's passed back in the response is 'undefined'. How can I catch the exception? Do I need a try catch somewhere?
const fetch = require('node-fetch')
const { IEXCloudClient } = require("node-iex-cloud");
const { type } = require('tap');
const iex = new IEXCloudClient(fetch, {
sandbox: true,
publishable: "pk_2f78524e5........23c327e24b5",
version: "stable"
});
'use strict'
async function getCurrentPriceOfBatchStocks(_stock) {
stocks_to_submit = _stock['stocks'];
console.log(stocks_to_submit)
response = await iex
.batchSymbols(stocks_to_submit)
.price()
.catch(function (error) { // <-- doesn't seem to get called
console.log("Exception: " + error);
throw error;
})
return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
if (response) {
resolve(response)
} else {
reject(response); // <-- response is undefined. why?
}
});
}
const batchStocksSchema = {
querystring: {
type: 'object',
properties: {
stocks: {
type: 'string'
}
},
required: ['stocks']
}
}
module.exports = async function (fastify, opts) {
fastify.get('/batch_stock_prices/', {
schema: batchStocksSchema
}, async function (request, reply) {
try {
var response = await getCurrentPriceOfBatchStocks(request.query)
// console.log(response)
return reply
.code(200)
.send(response);
} catch (e) {
console.log(e)
return reply
.code(400)
.send('Bad Request, exception: ' + e) // outputs: ...exception: undefined
}
})
}

It's hard to say for sure what's wrong without running the code, but there are several issues with the use of async, await, and promises in the code, and with creating implicit globals. (Also various missing ;.) If we sort those out, it may be that whatever error is occurring will stop being obscured. See *** comments:
"use strict"; // *** This has to be at the very beginning of the compilation
// unit, it can't be later in the code as it is in the question
const fetch = require('node-fetch')
const { IEXCloudClient } = require("node-iex-cloud");
const { type } = require('tap');
const iex = new IEXCloudClient(fetch, {
sandbox: true,
publishable: "pk_2f78524e5........23c327e24b5",
version: "stable"
});
async function getCurrentPriceOfBatchStocks(_stock) {
// *** Declare `stocks_to_submit`
const stocks_to_submit = _stock['stocks'];
// *** Declare `response`
const response = await iex.batchSymbols(stocks_to_submit).price();
// *** Don't catch the error, let it propagate; the caller should
// know whether the call succeeded or failed
// *** Don't use `new Promise`, there's no purpose to it
return response;
}
const batchStocksSchema = {
querystring: {
type: 'object',
properties: {
stocks: {
type: 'string'
}
},
required: ['stocks']
}
};
// *** This function never uses `await`, so don't make it `async`
module.exports = function (fastify, opts) {
fastify.get('/batch_stock_prices/', {
schema: batchStocksSchema
}, function (request, reply) { // *** Typically old-style callback APIs don't do
// anything with the promise an `async` function
// returns, so don't pass `async` functions into them
getCurrentPriceOfBatchStocks(request.query)
.then(response => {
// *** No `return` here, we aren't resolving the promise from `then` with the result
// of `send`
reply
.code(200)
.send(response);
})
.catch(e => {
console.log(e);
// *** No `return` here, we aren't resolving the promise from `catch` with the
// result of `send`
reply
.code(400)
.send('Bad Request, exception: ' + e);
});
});
};

For why the catch is not called in this part:
response = await iex
.batchSymbols(stocks_to_submit)
.price()
.catch(function (error) { // <-- doesn't seem to get called
console.log("Exception: " + error);
throw error;
})
and why response is undefined:
return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
if (response) {
resolve(response)
} else {
reject(response); // <-- response is undefined. why?
} });
This is the cause:
The promise returned by price() call had resolves an undefined value (instead of rejecting with an error). Your "await" wait for this undefined value and assigned it to "response" variable.
The price() when having problem have already handled the error and then print the details in the console:
Error: <html>
<head><title>400 Bad Request</title></head>
<body bgcolor="white">
<center><h1>400 Bad Request</h1></center>
<hr><center>nginx</center>
</body>
</html>
at IEXRequest.<anonymous> (/home/runner/ArtisticAridSite/node_modules/node-iex-cloud/lib/request.js:128:35)
at step (/home/runner/ArtisticAridSite/node_modules/node-iex-cloud/lib/request.js:32:23)
at Object.next (/home/runner/ArtisticAridSite/node_modules/node-iex-cloud/lib/request.js:13:53)
at fulfilled (/home/runner/ArtisticAridSite/node_modules/node-iex-cloud/lib/request.js:4:58)
It wasn't really passing the error back in the chain to your code.
So on your question of "How can I catch the exception?". Unfortunately you probably has no way to receive the exception details (unless you can control the error handling behaviour of iex). You may consider to check whether the result is undefined and handle accordingly.