JavaScript Promise Chaining

Promise chaining allows you to execute a series of asynchronous operations in sequence. It is a powerful feature of JavaScript promises that helps you manage multiple operations, making your code more readable and easier to maintain.

• Allows multiple asynchronous operations to run in sequence.
• Reduces callback hell by eliminating deeply nested functions.
• Each then() returns a new promise, allowing further chaining.
• Error handling is easier with a single .catch() for the entire chain.

function task(message, delay) {
    return new Promise((resolve) => {
        setTimeout(() => {
            console.log(message);
            resolve();
        }, delay);
    });
}

// Chaining promises
task('Task 1 completed', 1000)
    .then(() => task('Task 2 completed', 2000))
    .then(() => task('Task 3 completed', 1000));

Output:

Task 1 completed
Task 2 completed
Task 3 completed

In this example:

• task() is a function that returns a promise, simulating a delay using setTimeout.
• Each task waits for the previous one to complete before executing, thanks to the .then() chaining.
• The tasks will execute in order, printing:
  • “Task 1 completed”
  • “Task 2 completed”
  • “Task 3 completed”
• This is the core of promise chaining, where each promise is linked to the next one through .then()

Promise States

A promise in JavaScript can be in one of three states, which determine how it behaves:

• Pending: This state represents the initial state of the promise. It is neither fulfilled nor rejected.
• Fulfilled: This state represents that the asynchronous operation has successfully completed, and the promise has resolved with a value.
• Rejected: This state represents that the asynchronous operation has failed, and the promise has rejected with a reason (error).

Error Handling in Chaining

Promise.resolve(5)
    .then((num) => {
        console.log(`Value: ${num}`);
        throw new Error("Something went wrong!");
    })
    .then((num) => {
        console.log(`This won't run`);
    })
    .catch((error) => {
        console.error(`Error: ${error.message}`);
    });

Output:

Value: 5
Error: Something went wrong!

Chaining with Dependent Tasks

function fetchUser(userId) {
    return Promise.resolve({ id: userId, name: "GFG" });
}

function fetchOrders(user) {
    return Promise.resolve([{ orderId: 1, userId: user.id }]);
}

fetchUser(101)
    .then((user) => {
        console.log(`User: ${user.name}`);
        return fetchOrders(user);
    })
    .then((orders) => {
        console.log(`Orders: ${orders.length}`);
    })
    .catch((error) => console.error(error));

Output:

User: GFG
Orders: 1

Advanced Usage: Parallel and Sequential Tasks in a Chain

You can combine Promise.all() with chaining for efficient execution.

Promise.all([
    Promise.resolve("Task 1 done"),
    Promise.resolve("Task 2 done")
])
    .then(([result1, result2]) => {
        console.log(result1, result2);
        return Promise.resolve("Final Task done");
    })
    .then((finalResult) => console.log(finalResult))
    .catch((error) => console.error(error));

Output:

Task 1 done Task 2 done
Final Task done

Why Use Promise Chaining?

• Improved Readability: Makes code cleaner and easier to understand compared to deeply nested callbacks.
• Error Handling: Centralized error management with a single .catch() for the entire chain.
• Sequential Execution: Ensures tasks are executed one after the other, passing results along.
• Simplifies Dependencies: Handles tasks that depend on the output of previous asynchronous operations.
• Enhanced Debugging: Stack traces in Promise chains are easier to follow compared to callback chains.

When to Use Promise Chaining?

• Dependent Async Operations: When one async task relies on the result of another (e.g., fetching user data, then their orders).
• Sequential Steps: For workflows with multiple stages, like data transformation or processing pipelines.
• Avoiding Callback Hell: To keep the structure of async code flat and maintainable.
• Error Propagation: When you need to ensure that an error in any step is caught and handled.
• Data Aggregation: Combining results from multiple async calls in sequence.
• Cleanup After Tasks: Using .finally() to execute code regardless of success or failure.

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Article Tags :

• JavaScript
• Web Technologies
• javascript-basics