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The await operator is used to wait for a Promise . It can only be used inside an async function within regular JavaScript code; however it can be used on its own with JavaScript modules.
This rule applies when the await operator is used on a non-Promise value. await operator pauses the execution of the current async function until the operand Promise is resolved.
await is always for a single Promise . Promise creation starts the execution of asynchronous functionality. await only blocks the code execution within the async function. It only makes sure that the next line is executed when the promise resolves.
The return value will always be a promise. If you don't explicitly return a promise, the value you return will automatically be wrapped in a promise.
async function increment(num) {
return num + 1;
}
// Even though you returned a number, the value is
// automatically wrapped in a promise, so we call
// `then` on it to access the returned value.
//
// Logs: 4
increment(3).then(num => console.log(num));
Same thing even if there's no return! (Promise { undefined } is returned)
async function increment(num) {}
Same thing even if there's an await.
function defer(callback) {
return new Promise(function(resolve) {
setTimeout(function() {
resolve(callback());
}, 1000);
});
}
async function incrementTwice(num) {
const numPlus1 = await defer(() => num + 1);
return numPlus1 + 1;
}
// Logs: 5
incrementTwice(3).then(num => console.log(num));
Promises auto-unwrap, so if you do return a promise for a value from within an async function, you will receive a promise for the value (not a promise for a promise for the value).
function defer(callback) {
return new Promise(function(resolve) {
setTimeout(function() {
resolve(callback());
}, 1000);
});
}
async function increment(num) {
// It doesn't matter whether you put an `await` here.
return defer(() => num + 1);
}
// Logs: 4
increment(3).then(num => console.log(num));
In my synopsis the behavior is indeed inconsistent with traditional return statements. It appears that when you explicitly return a non-promise value from an async function, it will force wrap it in a promise. I don't have a big problem with it, but it does defy normal JS.
ES6 has functions which don't return exactly the same value as the return. These functions are called generators.
function* foo() {
return 'test';
}
// Logs an object.
console.log(foo());
// Logs 'test'.
console.log(foo().next().value);
I took a look at the spec and found the following information. The short version is that an async function desugars to a generator which yields Promises. So, yes, async functions return promises.
According to the tc39 spec, the following is true:
async function <name>?<argumentlist><body>
Desugars to:
function <name>?<argumentlist>{ return spawn(function*() <body>, this); }
Where spawn "is a call to the following algorithm":
function spawn(genF, self) {
return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
var gen = genF.call(self);
function step(nextF) {
var next;
try {
next = nextF();
} catch(e) {
// finished with failure, reject the promise
reject(e);
return;
}
if(next.done) {
// finished with success, resolve the promise
resolve(next.value);
return;
}
// not finished, chain off the yielded promise and `step` again
Promise.resolve(next.value).then(function(v) {
step(function() { return gen.next(v); });
}, function(e) {
step(function() { return gen.throw(e); });
});
}
step(function() { return gen.next(undefined); });
});
}
Your question is: If I create an async function should it return a promise or not? Answer: just do whatever you want and Javascript will fix it for you.
Suppose doSomethingAsync is a function that returns a promise. Then
async function getVal(){
return await doSomethingAsync();
}
is exactly the same as
async function getVal(){
return doSomethingAsync();
}
You probably are thinking "WTF, how can these be the same?" and you are right. The async will magically wrap a value with a Promise if necessary.
Even stranger, the doSomethingAsync can be written to sometimes return a promise and sometimes NOT return a promise. Still both functions are exactly the same, because the await is also magic. It will unwrap a Promise if necessary but it will have no effect on things that are not Promises.
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