external function call, promise, async and Mongo - confused - javascript

Beginning to feel really thick here. Read a lot and I believe I understand promises and async-await decently well. However, I seem to struggle to use the function elsewhere, such that I can obtain the result (e.g. i get pending in another js file with: let dbConnection = dbOperations.openDatabaseConnection();).
Could someone explain to me why do I keep getting pending from the below functions (same function written with promise and asyncawait)? I can console.log the dbConnection result as expected prior to my return within the function. Also, I am particularly keen to understand promises in this sense, as it seems that many npm packages seem to return promises (and with my experience at least the async-await does not sit well with that? -> using async does not wait for resolve in my experience).
// Establish database connection
function openDatabaseConnection() {
let dbConnection = {};
return mongodb.connect(dbUri).then(conn => {
dbConnection.connection = conn;
return dbConnection;
})
.then(() => {
dbConnection.session = dbConnection.connection.db(dbName);
//console.log(dbConnection);
return dbConnection;
})
.catch(err => {
throw err;
});
};
// Establish database connection
async function openDatabaseConnection() {
let dbConnection = {};
try {
dbConnection.connection = await mongodb.connect(dbUri);
dbConnection.session = await dbConnection.connection.db(dbName);
} finally {
//console.log(dbConnection);
return dbConnection;
};
};

Both functions return again a promise.
So in your statement let dbConnection = dbOperations.openDatabaseConnection();
you assign a promise.
Thus you need to do something like:
dbOperations.openDatabaseConnection().then((dbConn) => ..)
or
let dbConnection = await dbOperations.openDatabaseConnection();
(note this requires to be wrapped in an async function)

Async/await is just another way to work with Promises, just don't wait for something that isn't a Promise.
async function openDatabaseConnection() {
let dbConnection = {};
try {
dbConnection.connection = await mongodb.connect(dbUri);
// await here does not make sense, this function does not return a Promise
// dbConnection.session = await dbConnection.connection.db(dbName);
dbConnection.session = dbConnection.connection.db(dbName);
} finally {
//console.log(dbConnection);
// return will always execute, keep here only when it should
// return an empty object if the connection fails
return dbConnection;
};
};
More info on async/await

Related

How do I solve the Error with Await in JS [duplicate]

I wrote this code in lib/helper.js:
var myfunction = async function(x,y) {
....
return [variableA, variableB]
}
exports.myfunction = myfunction;
Then I tried to use it in another file :
var helper = require('./helper.js');
var start = function(a,b){
....
const result = await helper.myfunction('test','test');
}
exports.start = start;
I got an error:
await is only valid in async function
What is the issue?
The error is not refering to myfunction but to start.
async function start() {
....
const result = await helper.myfunction('test', 'test');
}
// My function
const myfunction = async function(x, y) {
return [
x,
y,
];
}
// Start function
const start = async function(a, b) {
const result = await myfunction('test', 'test');
console.log(result);
}
// Call start
start();
I use the opportunity of this question to advise you about an known anti pattern using await which is : return await.
WRONG
async function myfunction() {
console.log('Inside of myfunction');
}
// Here we wait for the myfunction to finish
// and then returns a promise that'll be waited for aswell
// It's useless to wait the myfunction to finish before to return
// we can simply returns a promise that will be resolved later
// useless async here
async function start() {
// useless await here
return await myfunction();
}
// Call start
(async() => {
console.log('before start');
await start();
console.log('after start');
})();
CORRECT
async function myfunction() {
console.log('Inside of myfunction');
}
// Here we wait for the myfunction to finish
// and then returns a promise that'll be waited for aswell
// It's useless to wait the myfunction to finish before to return
// we can simply returns a promise that will be resolved later
// Also point that we don't use async keyword on the function because
// we can simply returns the promise returned by myfunction
function start() {
return myfunction();
}
// Call start
(async() => {
console.log('before start');
await start();
console.log('after start');
})();
Also, know that there is a special case where return await is correct and important : (using try/catch)
Are there performance concerns with `return await`?
To use await, its executing context needs to be async in nature
As it said, you need to define the nature of your executing context where you are willing to await a task before anything.
Just put async before the fn declaration in which your async task will execute.
var start = async function(a, b) {
// Your async task will execute with await
await foo()
console.log('I will execute after foo get either resolved/rejected')
}
Explanation:
In your question, you are importing a method which is asynchronous in nature and will execute in parallel. But where you are trying to execute that async method is inside a different execution context which you need to define async to use await.
var helper = require('./helper.js');
var start = async function(a,b){
....
const result = await helper.myfunction('test','test');
}
exports.start = start;
Wondering what's going under the hood
await consumes promise/future / task-returning methods/functions and async marks a method/function as capable of using await.
Also if you are familiar with promises, await is actually doing the same process of promise/resolve. Creating a chain of promise and executes your next task in resolve callback.
For more info you can refer to MDN DOCS.
When I got this error, it turned out I had a call to the map function inside my "async" function, so this error message was actually referring to the map function not being marked as "async". I got around this issue by taking the "await" call out of the map function and coming up with some other way of getting the expected behavior.
var myfunction = async function(x,y) {
....
someArray.map(someVariable => { // <- This was the function giving the error
return await someFunction(someVariable);
});
}
I had the same problem and the following block of code was giving the same error message:
repositories.forEach( repo => {
const commits = await getCommits(repo);
displayCommit(commits);
});
The problem is that the method getCommits() was async but I was passing it the argument repo which was also produced by a Promise. So, I had to add the word async to it like this: async(repo) and it started working:
repositories.forEach( async(repo) => {
const commits = await getCommits(repo);
displayCommit(commits);
});
If you are writing a Chrome Extension and you get this error for your code at root, you can fix it using the following "workaround":
async function run() {
// Your async code here
const beers = await fetch("https://api.punkapi.com/v2/beers");
}
run();
Basically you have to wrap your async code in an async function and then call the function without awaiting it.
The current implementation of async / await only supports the await keyword inside of async functions Change your start function signature so you can use await inside start.
var start = async function(a, b) {
}
For those interested, the proposal for top-level await is currently in Stage 2: https://github.com/tc39/proposal-top-level-await
async/await is the mechanism of handling promise, two ways we can do it
functionWhichReturnsPromise()
.then(result => {
console.log(result);
})
.cathc(err => {
console.log(result);
});
or we can use await to wait for the promise to full-filed it first, which means either it is rejected or resolved.
Now if we want to use await (waiting for a promise to fulfil) inside a function, it's mandatory that the container function must be an async function because we are waiting for a promise to fulfiled asynchronously || make sense right?.
async function getRecipesAw(){
const IDs = await getIds; // returns promise
const recipe = await getRecipe(IDs[2]); // returns promise
return recipe; // returning a promise
}
getRecipesAw().then(result=>{
console.log(result);
}).catch(error=>{
console.log(error);
});
If you have called async function inside foreach update it to for loop
Found the code below in this nice article: HTTP requests in Node using Axios
const axios = require('axios')
const getBreeds = async () => {
try {
return await axios.get('https://dog.ceo/api/breeds/list/all')
} catch (error) {
console.error(error)
}
}
const countBreeds = async () => {
const breeds = await getBreeds()
if (breeds.data.message) {
console.log(`Got ${Object.entries(breeds.data.message).length} breeds`)
}
}
countBreeds()
Or using Promise:
const axios = require('axios')
const getBreeds = () => {
try {
return axios.get('https://dog.ceo/api/breeds/list/all')
} catch (error) {
console.error(error)
}
}
const countBreeds = async () => {
const breeds = getBreeds()
.then(response => {
if (response.data.message) {
console.log(
`Got ${Object.entries(response.data.message).length} breeds`
)
}
})
.catch(error => {
console.log(error)
})
}
countBreeds()
In later nodejs (>=14), top await is allowed with { "type": "module" } specified in package.json or with file extension .mjs.
https://www.stefanjudis.com/today-i-learned/top-level-await-is-available-in-node-js-modules/
This in one file works..
Looks like await only is applied to the local function which has to be async..
I also am struggling now with a more complex structure and in between different files. That's why I made this small test code.
edit: i forgot to say that I'm working with node.js.. sry. I don't have a clear question. Just thought it could be helpful with the discussion..
function helper(callback){
function doA(){
var array = ["a ","b ","c "];
var alphabet = "";
return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
array.forEach(function(key,index){
alphabet += key;
if (index == array.length - 1){
resolve(alphabet);
};
});
});
};
function doB(){
var a = "well done!";
return a;
};
async function make() {
var alphabet = await doA();
var appreciate = doB();
callback(alphabet+appreciate);
};
make();
};
helper(function(message){
console.log(message);
});
A common problem in Express:
The warning can refer to the function, or where you call it.
Express items tend to look like this:
app.post('/foo', ensureLoggedIn("/join"), (req, res) => {
const facts = await db.lookup(something)
res.redirect('/')
})
Notice the => arrow function syntax for the function.
The problem is NOT actually in the db.lookup call, but right here in the Express item.
Needs to be:
app.post('/foo', ensureLoggedIn("/join"), async function (req, res) {
const facts = await db.lookup(something)
res.redirect('/')
})
Basically, nix the => and add async function .
"await is only valid in async function"
But why? 'await' explicitly turns an async call into a synchronous call, and therefore the caller cannot be async (or asyncable) - at least, not because of the call being made at 'await'.
Yes, await / async was a great concept, but the implementation is completely broken.
For whatever reason, the await keyword has been implemented such that it can only be used within an async method. This is in fact a bug, though you will not see it referred to as such anywhere but right here. The fix for this bug would be to implement the await keyword such that it can only be used TO CALL an async function, regardless of whether the calling function is itself synchronous or asynchronous.
Due to this bug, if you use await to call a real asynchronous function somewhere in your code, then ALL of your functions must be marked as async and ALL of your function calls must use await.
This essentially means that you must add the overhead of promises to all of the functions in your entire application, most of which are not and never will be asynchronous.
If you actually think about it, using await in a function should require the function containing the await keyword TO NOT BE ASYNC - this is because the await keyword is going to pause processing in the function where the await keyword is found. If processing in that function is paused, then it is definitely NOT asynchronous.
So, to the developers of javascript and ECMAScript - please fix the await/async implementation as follows...
await can only be used to CALL async functions.
await can appear in any kind of function, synchronous or asynchronous.
Change the error message from "await is only valid in async function" to "await can only be used to call async functions".

Await Not Working With Firebase Firestore Calls Javascript [duplicate]

I wrote this code in lib/helper.js:
var myfunction = async function(x,y) {
....
return [variableA, variableB]
}
exports.myfunction = myfunction;
Then I tried to use it in another file :
var helper = require('./helper.js');
var start = function(a,b){
....
const result = await helper.myfunction('test','test');
}
exports.start = start;
I got an error:
await is only valid in async function
What is the issue?
The error is not refering to myfunction but to start.
async function start() {
....
const result = await helper.myfunction('test', 'test');
}
// My function
const myfunction = async function(x, y) {
return [
x,
y,
];
}
// Start function
const start = async function(a, b) {
const result = await myfunction('test', 'test');
console.log(result);
}
// Call start
start();
I use the opportunity of this question to advise you about an known anti pattern using await which is : return await.
WRONG
async function myfunction() {
console.log('Inside of myfunction');
}
// Here we wait for the myfunction to finish
// and then returns a promise that'll be waited for aswell
// It's useless to wait the myfunction to finish before to return
// we can simply returns a promise that will be resolved later
// useless async here
async function start() {
// useless await here
return await myfunction();
}
// Call start
(async() => {
console.log('before start');
await start();
console.log('after start');
})();
CORRECT
async function myfunction() {
console.log('Inside of myfunction');
}
// Here we wait for the myfunction to finish
// and then returns a promise that'll be waited for aswell
// It's useless to wait the myfunction to finish before to return
// we can simply returns a promise that will be resolved later
// Also point that we don't use async keyword on the function because
// we can simply returns the promise returned by myfunction
function start() {
return myfunction();
}
// Call start
(async() => {
console.log('before start');
await start();
console.log('after start');
})();
Also, know that there is a special case where return await is correct and important : (using try/catch)
Are there performance concerns with `return await`?
To use await, its executing context needs to be async in nature
As it said, you need to define the nature of your executing context where you are willing to await a task before anything.
Just put async before the fn declaration in which your async task will execute.
var start = async function(a, b) {
// Your async task will execute with await
await foo()
console.log('I will execute after foo get either resolved/rejected')
}
Explanation:
In your question, you are importing a method which is asynchronous in nature and will execute in parallel. But where you are trying to execute that async method is inside a different execution context which you need to define async to use await.
var helper = require('./helper.js');
var start = async function(a,b){
....
const result = await helper.myfunction('test','test');
}
exports.start = start;
Wondering what's going under the hood
await consumes promise/future / task-returning methods/functions and async marks a method/function as capable of using await.
Also if you are familiar with promises, await is actually doing the same process of promise/resolve. Creating a chain of promise and executes your next task in resolve callback.
For more info you can refer to MDN DOCS.
When I got this error, it turned out I had a call to the map function inside my "async" function, so this error message was actually referring to the map function not being marked as "async". I got around this issue by taking the "await" call out of the map function and coming up with some other way of getting the expected behavior.
var myfunction = async function(x,y) {
....
someArray.map(someVariable => { // <- This was the function giving the error
return await someFunction(someVariable);
});
}
I had the same problem and the following block of code was giving the same error message:
repositories.forEach( repo => {
const commits = await getCommits(repo);
displayCommit(commits);
});
The problem is that the method getCommits() was async but I was passing it the argument repo which was also produced by a Promise. So, I had to add the word async to it like this: async(repo) and it started working:
repositories.forEach( async(repo) => {
const commits = await getCommits(repo);
displayCommit(commits);
});
If you are writing a Chrome Extension and you get this error for your code at root, you can fix it using the following "workaround":
async function run() {
// Your async code here
const beers = await fetch("https://api.punkapi.com/v2/beers");
}
run();
Basically you have to wrap your async code in an async function and then call the function without awaiting it.
The current implementation of async / await only supports the await keyword inside of async functions Change your start function signature so you can use await inside start.
var start = async function(a, b) {
}
For those interested, the proposal for top-level await is currently in Stage 2: https://github.com/tc39/proposal-top-level-await
async/await is the mechanism of handling promise, two ways we can do it
functionWhichReturnsPromise()
.then(result => {
console.log(result);
})
.cathc(err => {
console.log(result);
});
or we can use await to wait for the promise to full-filed it first, which means either it is rejected or resolved.
Now if we want to use await (waiting for a promise to fulfil) inside a function, it's mandatory that the container function must be an async function because we are waiting for a promise to fulfiled asynchronously || make sense right?.
async function getRecipesAw(){
const IDs = await getIds; // returns promise
const recipe = await getRecipe(IDs[2]); // returns promise
return recipe; // returning a promise
}
getRecipesAw().then(result=>{
console.log(result);
}).catch(error=>{
console.log(error);
});
If you have called async function inside foreach update it to for loop
Found the code below in this nice article: HTTP requests in Node using Axios
const axios = require('axios')
const getBreeds = async () => {
try {
return await axios.get('https://dog.ceo/api/breeds/list/all')
} catch (error) {
console.error(error)
}
}
const countBreeds = async () => {
const breeds = await getBreeds()
if (breeds.data.message) {
console.log(`Got ${Object.entries(breeds.data.message).length} breeds`)
}
}
countBreeds()
Or using Promise:
const axios = require('axios')
const getBreeds = () => {
try {
return axios.get('https://dog.ceo/api/breeds/list/all')
} catch (error) {
console.error(error)
}
}
const countBreeds = async () => {
const breeds = getBreeds()
.then(response => {
if (response.data.message) {
console.log(
`Got ${Object.entries(response.data.message).length} breeds`
)
}
})
.catch(error => {
console.log(error)
})
}
countBreeds()
In later nodejs (>=14), top await is allowed with { "type": "module" } specified in package.json or with file extension .mjs.
https://www.stefanjudis.com/today-i-learned/top-level-await-is-available-in-node-js-modules/
This in one file works..
Looks like await only is applied to the local function which has to be async..
I also am struggling now with a more complex structure and in between different files. That's why I made this small test code.
edit: i forgot to say that I'm working with node.js.. sry. I don't have a clear question. Just thought it could be helpful with the discussion..
function helper(callback){
function doA(){
var array = ["a ","b ","c "];
var alphabet = "";
return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
array.forEach(function(key,index){
alphabet += key;
if (index == array.length - 1){
resolve(alphabet);
};
});
});
};
function doB(){
var a = "well done!";
return a;
};
async function make() {
var alphabet = await doA();
var appreciate = doB();
callback(alphabet+appreciate);
};
make();
};
helper(function(message){
console.log(message);
});
A common problem in Express:
The warning can refer to the function, or where you call it.
Express items tend to look like this:
app.post('/foo', ensureLoggedIn("/join"), (req, res) => {
const facts = await db.lookup(something)
res.redirect('/')
})
Notice the => arrow function syntax for the function.
The problem is NOT actually in the db.lookup call, but right here in the Express item.
Needs to be:
app.post('/foo', ensureLoggedIn("/join"), async function (req, res) {
const facts = await db.lookup(something)
res.redirect('/')
})
Basically, nix the => and add async function .
"await is only valid in async function"
But why? 'await' explicitly turns an async call into a synchronous call, and therefore the caller cannot be async (or asyncable) - at least, not because of the call being made at 'await'.
Yes, await / async was a great concept, but the implementation is completely broken.
For whatever reason, the await keyword has been implemented such that it can only be used within an async method. This is in fact a bug, though you will not see it referred to as such anywhere but right here. The fix for this bug would be to implement the await keyword such that it can only be used TO CALL an async function, regardless of whether the calling function is itself synchronous or asynchronous.
Due to this bug, if you use await to call a real asynchronous function somewhere in your code, then ALL of your functions must be marked as async and ALL of your function calls must use await.
This essentially means that you must add the overhead of promises to all of the functions in your entire application, most of which are not and never will be asynchronous.
If you actually think about it, using await in a function should require the function containing the await keyword TO NOT BE ASYNC - this is because the await keyword is going to pause processing in the function where the await keyword is found. If processing in that function is paused, then it is definitely NOT asynchronous.
So, to the developers of javascript and ECMAScript - please fix the await/async implementation as follows...
await can only be used to CALL async functions.
await can appear in any kind of function, synchronous or asynchronous.
Change the error message from "await is only valid in async function" to "await can only be used to call async functions".

Why does the command "wait sleep" not work although the function was marked as "async"? [duplicate]

I wrote this code in lib/helper.js:
var myfunction = async function(x,y) {
....
return [variableA, variableB]
}
exports.myfunction = myfunction;
Then I tried to use it in another file :
var helper = require('./helper.js');
var start = function(a,b){
....
const result = await helper.myfunction('test','test');
}
exports.start = start;
I got an error:
await is only valid in async function
What is the issue?
The error is not refering to myfunction but to start.
async function start() {
....
const result = await helper.myfunction('test', 'test');
}
// My function
const myfunction = async function(x, y) {
return [
x,
y,
];
}
// Start function
const start = async function(a, b) {
const result = await myfunction('test', 'test');
console.log(result);
}
// Call start
start();
I use the opportunity of this question to advise you about an known anti pattern using await which is : return await.
WRONG
async function myfunction() {
console.log('Inside of myfunction');
}
// Here we wait for the myfunction to finish
// and then returns a promise that'll be waited for aswell
// It's useless to wait the myfunction to finish before to return
// we can simply returns a promise that will be resolved later
// useless async here
async function start() {
// useless await here
return await myfunction();
}
// Call start
(async() => {
console.log('before start');
await start();
console.log('after start');
})();
CORRECT
async function myfunction() {
console.log('Inside of myfunction');
}
// Here we wait for the myfunction to finish
// and then returns a promise that'll be waited for aswell
// It's useless to wait the myfunction to finish before to return
// we can simply returns a promise that will be resolved later
// Also point that we don't use async keyword on the function because
// we can simply returns the promise returned by myfunction
function start() {
return myfunction();
}
// Call start
(async() => {
console.log('before start');
await start();
console.log('after start');
})();
Also, know that there is a special case where return await is correct and important : (using try/catch)
Are there performance concerns with `return await`?
To use await, its executing context needs to be async in nature
As it said, you need to define the nature of your executing context where you are willing to await a task before anything.
Just put async before the fn declaration in which your async task will execute.
var start = async function(a, b) {
// Your async task will execute with await
await foo()
console.log('I will execute after foo get either resolved/rejected')
}
Explanation:
In your question, you are importing a method which is asynchronous in nature and will execute in parallel. But where you are trying to execute that async method is inside a different execution context which you need to define async to use await.
var helper = require('./helper.js');
var start = async function(a,b){
....
const result = await helper.myfunction('test','test');
}
exports.start = start;
Wondering what's going under the hood
await consumes promise/future / task-returning methods/functions and async marks a method/function as capable of using await.
Also if you are familiar with promises, await is actually doing the same process of promise/resolve. Creating a chain of promise and executes your next task in resolve callback.
For more info you can refer to MDN DOCS.
When I got this error, it turned out I had a call to the map function inside my "async" function, so this error message was actually referring to the map function not being marked as "async". I got around this issue by taking the "await" call out of the map function and coming up with some other way of getting the expected behavior.
var myfunction = async function(x,y) {
....
someArray.map(someVariable => { // <- This was the function giving the error
return await someFunction(someVariable);
});
}
I had the same problem and the following block of code was giving the same error message:
repositories.forEach( repo => {
const commits = await getCommits(repo);
displayCommit(commits);
});
The problem is that the method getCommits() was async but I was passing it the argument repo which was also produced by a Promise. So, I had to add the word async to it like this: async(repo) and it started working:
repositories.forEach( async(repo) => {
const commits = await getCommits(repo);
displayCommit(commits);
});
If you are writing a Chrome Extension and you get this error for your code at root, you can fix it using the following "workaround":
async function run() {
// Your async code here
const beers = await fetch("https://api.punkapi.com/v2/beers");
}
run();
Basically you have to wrap your async code in an async function and then call the function without awaiting it.
The current implementation of async / await only supports the await keyword inside of async functions Change your start function signature so you can use await inside start.
var start = async function(a, b) {
}
For those interested, the proposal for top-level await is currently in Stage 2: https://github.com/tc39/proposal-top-level-await
async/await is the mechanism of handling promise, two ways we can do it
functionWhichReturnsPromise()
.then(result => {
console.log(result);
})
.cathc(err => {
console.log(result);
});
or we can use await to wait for the promise to full-filed it first, which means either it is rejected or resolved.
Now if we want to use await (waiting for a promise to fulfil) inside a function, it's mandatory that the container function must be an async function because we are waiting for a promise to fulfiled asynchronously || make sense right?.
async function getRecipesAw(){
const IDs = await getIds; // returns promise
const recipe = await getRecipe(IDs[2]); // returns promise
return recipe; // returning a promise
}
getRecipesAw().then(result=>{
console.log(result);
}).catch(error=>{
console.log(error);
});
If you have called async function inside foreach update it to for loop
Found the code below in this nice article: HTTP requests in Node using Axios
const axios = require('axios')
const getBreeds = async () => {
try {
return await axios.get('https://dog.ceo/api/breeds/list/all')
} catch (error) {
console.error(error)
}
}
const countBreeds = async () => {
const breeds = await getBreeds()
if (breeds.data.message) {
console.log(`Got ${Object.entries(breeds.data.message).length} breeds`)
}
}
countBreeds()
Or using Promise:
const axios = require('axios')
const getBreeds = () => {
try {
return axios.get('https://dog.ceo/api/breeds/list/all')
} catch (error) {
console.error(error)
}
}
const countBreeds = async () => {
const breeds = getBreeds()
.then(response => {
if (response.data.message) {
console.log(
`Got ${Object.entries(response.data.message).length} breeds`
)
}
})
.catch(error => {
console.log(error)
})
}
countBreeds()
In later nodejs (>=14), top await is allowed with { "type": "module" } specified in package.json or with file extension .mjs.
https://www.stefanjudis.com/today-i-learned/top-level-await-is-available-in-node-js-modules/
This in one file works..
Looks like await only is applied to the local function which has to be async..
I also am struggling now with a more complex structure and in between different files. That's why I made this small test code.
edit: i forgot to say that I'm working with node.js.. sry. I don't have a clear question. Just thought it could be helpful with the discussion..
function helper(callback){
function doA(){
var array = ["a ","b ","c "];
var alphabet = "";
return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
array.forEach(function(key,index){
alphabet += key;
if (index == array.length - 1){
resolve(alphabet);
};
});
});
};
function doB(){
var a = "well done!";
return a;
};
async function make() {
var alphabet = await doA();
var appreciate = doB();
callback(alphabet+appreciate);
};
make();
};
helper(function(message){
console.log(message);
});
A common problem in Express:
The warning can refer to the function, or where you call it.
Express items tend to look like this:
app.post('/foo', ensureLoggedIn("/join"), (req, res) => {
const facts = await db.lookup(something)
res.redirect('/')
})
Notice the => arrow function syntax for the function.
The problem is NOT actually in the db.lookup call, but right here in the Express item.
Needs to be:
app.post('/foo', ensureLoggedIn("/join"), async function (req, res) {
const facts = await db.lookup(something)
res.redirect('/')
})
Basically, nix the => and add async function .
"await is only valid in async function"
But why? 'await' explicitly turns an async call into a synchronous call, and therefore the caller cannot be async (or asyncable) - at least, not because of the call being made at 'await'.
Yes, await / async was a great concept, but the implementation is completely broken.
For whatever reason, the await keyword has been implemented such that it can only be used within an async method. This is in fact a bug, though you will not see it referred to as such anywhere but right here. The fix for this bug would be to implement the await keyword such that it can only be used TO CALL an async function, regardless of whether the calling function is itself synchronous or asynchronous.
Due to this bug, if you use await to call a real asynchronous function somewhere in your code, then ALL of your functions must be marked as async and ALL of your function calls must use await.
This essentially means that you must add the overhead of promises to all of the functions in your entire application, most of which are not and never will be asynchronous.
If you actually think about it, using await in a function should require the function containing the await keyword TO NOT BE ASYNC - this is because the await keyword is going to pause processing in the function where the await keyword is found. If processing in that function is paused, then it is definitely NOT asynchronous.
So, to the developers of javascript and ECMAScript - please fix the await/async implementation as follows...
await can only be used to CALL async functions.
await can appear in any kind of function, synchronous or asynchronous.
Change the error message from "await is only valid in async function" to "await can only be used to call async functions".

How to avoid an infinite loop in JavaScript

I have a Selenium webdriverIO V5 framework. The issue I am facing here is, the below code works fine on Mac OS, but it does not work correctly on the Windows OS. In the Windows OS it gets stuck with an infinite loop issue.
The below code functionality is: Merge yaml files (which contains locators) and return the value of the locator by passing the key:
const glob = require('glob');
const yamlMerge = require('yaml-merge');
const sleep = require('system-sleep');
let xpath;
class Page {
getElements(elementId) {
function objectCollector() {
glob('tests/wdio/locators/*.yml', function (er, files) {
if (er) throw er;
xpath = yamlMerge.mergeFiles(files);
});
do {
sleep(10);
} while (xpath === undefined);
return xpath;
}
objectCollector();
return xpath[elementId];
}
}
module.exports = new Page();
Since you are waiting on the results of a callback, I would recommend returning a new Promise from your getElements function and resolve() the value you receive inside the callback. Then when you call getElements, you will need to resolve that Promise or use the await notation. The function will stop at that point and wait until the Promise resolves, but the event loop will still continue. See some documentation for more information.
I'll write an example below of what your code might look like using a Promise, but when you call getElements, you will need to put the keyword await before it. If you want to avoid that, you could resolve the Promise from objectCollector while you're in getElements and remove the async keyword from its definition, but you really should not get in the way of asynchronous JavaScript. Also, you can probably shorten the code a bit because objectCollector looks like an unnecessary function in this example:
const glob = require('glob')
const yamlMerge = require('yaml-merge')
const sleep = require('system-sleep')
let xpath
class Page {
function async getElements(elementId) {
function objectCollector() {
return new Promise((resolve,reject) => {
glob('tests/wdio/locators/*.yml', function (er, files) {
if (er) reject(er)
resolve(yamlMerge.mergeFiles(files))
})
})
}
let xpath = await objectCollector()
return xpath[elementId]
}
}
module.exports = new Page();

How to connect to mssql server synchronously in node.js

All of the examples for using the mssql client package/tedious driver are for async/callbacks/promises but I'm only developing a microservice that will see limited use and my understanding of asynchronous functions is still a bit fuzzy.
Here's what I have for trying to use async/await :
Report generation class:
const mssql = require('mssql');
const events = require('events');
class reporter {
constructor(searcher, logger) {
// Pass in search type and value or log the error of none defined
this.lg = logger
if (searcher.type && searcher.content) {
this.lg.lg("reporter created", 3)
this.srchType = searcher.type;
this.srchContent = searcher.content;
} else {
this.lg.lg("!MISSING SEARCH PARAMETERS", 0);
this.err = "!MISSING SEARCH PARAMETERS";
}
}
proc() {
//DB Connect async
async () => {
try {
await mssql.connect('mssql://username:password#localhost/database')
this.result = await mssql.query`select * from mytable where id = ${this.searcher}`
} catch (err) {
// ... error checks
}
}
return this.result;
}
}
Then called:
//Pass to reporter for resolution
var report1 = new reporter(searcher, logs);
report1.proc();
I'm sure this is probably a pretty bad way to accomplish this, so I'm also open to any input on good ways to accomplish the end goal, but I'd still like to know if it's possible to accomplish synchronously.
You can't do it synchronously. Figuring out this async stuff is definitely worth your time and effort.
async / await / promises let you more-or-less fake doing it synchronously
const report1 = new reporter(searcher, logs);
report1.proc()
.then ( result => {
/* in this function, "result" is what your async function returned */
/* do res.send() here if you're in express */
} )
.catch ( error => {
/* your lookup failed */
/* inform the client of your web service about the failure
* in an appropriate way. */
} )
And, unwrap the async function in your proc function, like so:
async proc() {
try {
await mssql.connect('mssql://username:password#localhost/database')
this.result = await mssql.query`select * from mytable where id = ${this.searcher}`
} catch (err) {
// ... error checks
}
return this.result;
}
await and .then are analogous.
Kind of an updated answer that continues off of O. Jones' answer.
The current version of Node.js (v15+) has support for top-level await, meaning you can run it all sequentially.
import mssql from 'mssql';
await mssql.connect('mssql://username:password#localhost/database')
const result = await mssql.query`select * from mytable where id = ${this.searcher}`
But it should still be avoided since you want to catch for errors instead of letting it crash.
In current versions of Node.js, if an await/promise rejects, and isn't caught with a .catch(), then the uncaught promise will terminate your application with the error

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