I'm looking to implement debouncing and throttling in JavaScript and need some guidance on when to use each method. Specifically, what parameters should I consider, like immediate execution or wait time? Also, how would I go about implementing throttle—should I use timestamps or timers for that? More importantly, I'd like to know in what situations each technique is most appropriate, such as whether to use debounce on a window resize, button click, or infinite scroll. Additionally, where would throttle be better suited, like tracking mouse movements or limiting API calls?
3 Answers
Here's a quick debounce function in JavaScript:
```javascript
const debounce = (fn, delay) => {
let timer;
return function (...args) {
clearTimeout(timer);
timer = setTimeout(() => {
fn(...args);
}, delay);
};
};
```
Just plug in your function and delay time when you call it!
Isn't debouncing and throttling doing somewhat the same thing? They both prevent functions from being called too often.
Use debouncing when you want to ensure that a function only runs after a user has stopped triggering an event for a specified time. This is great for scenarios like API calls on input events, where you don’t want to hit the server with requests for every keystroke.
On the other hand, throttling is suitable for cases where you want to limit how often a function can run, such as when tracking mouse movements without updating the DOM on every move. For both methods, it's important to set a duration and options for immediate or trailing execution.
While debouncing and throttling both aim to reduce the number of calls to a function, they're used in different ways. For debouncing, you typically use a timer to delay execution of a function until after the last event has fired. As for throttling, you limit the execution to once every specified duration. Recently, I implemented these strategies to minimize API calls when users scroll through articles, which helped in optimizing performance without overwhelming the server.
Can you share a JavaScript notebook for some hands-on practice with this?