Okay so look at these to alert()s. Here is the full code:
function OfficialFacebookLikes(Title)
{
$.getJSON('https://graph.facebook.com/'+Title, function(data) {
alert(data['likes'].toString()); //<<temp
return data['likes'].toString();
});
}
$(document).ready(function(){
$('.ui-btn').click(function(){ //cocacola
var LikeCount = OfficialFacebookLikes("cocacola");
alert(LikeCount);
});
});
Why does
alert(LikeCount)
display (which is "undefined" when displayed) before
alert(data['likes'].toString())
I called the function OfficialFacebookLikes before I called the alert(LikeCount). Could someone please explain why this is occurring. If my thought process isn't making since.. I'm use to coding in C++.
This is an asynchronous Ajax call. You won't have data available until the call returns. In your document ready code, you are attempting to alert the call immediately.
Instead, do whatever you need to do with the result set in the callback handler of the ajax:
$.getJSON('https://graph.facebook.com/'+Title, function(data) {
doSomethingWithMy(data);
});
The .getJSON function is asynchronous, this means that it needs a callback to call when it's finished, otherwise you'll never know when the function has been completed. Asynchronous functions run separately from the rest of the code.
When you call OfficialFacebookLikes("cocacola") it will call the .getJSON function. Now the .getJSON functions starts by its own and doesn't stop the script, so right after calling OfficialFacebookLikes("cocacola"), the next line of code is executed, which is actually alert(LikeCount). But LikeCount has not yet been defined, since that .getJSON is still working.
When .getJSON finishes working the callback function given in $.getJSON(..., function() {... }) gets executed, and then the LikeCount variable gets defined. So if you want to alert LikeCount you have to put the alert() inside the callback of .getJSON.
Related
I ask a friend and ask what is (data, function(i,e) in this code and he said this is callback then i search the internet about callback and doesn't understand it. I read about this What are callback methods?what is callback in simpliest way ?
$.each(data, function(i,e){
console.log(e.id);
});
What is the use of (data, function(i,e) here?
$.ajax({
type: "GET",
url: pbxApi+"/confbridge_participants/conference_participants.json?cid="+circle,
dataType: "jsonp",
jsonpCallback: 'callback',
contentType: "application/javascript",
success: function(data) {
console.log(data);
}
});
A callback function is a function you specify to an existing function/method, to be invoked when an action is completed, requires additional processing, etc.
*Here's a little something for you to understand callbacks better:
Guy 1 to Guy 2: hey dude I wanna do something when a user clicks in there, call me back when that happens alright?
Guy 2 calls back Guy 1 when a user clicks here.*
A callback method which is called back.
Who calls it back at you ?
Your framework calls it back.
Why it calls it back ?
Because you ask for it to get called back because you want to do some processing when something happens.
Examples
You are doing some processing and don't know when it completes. You provide a callback , and you continue with some other work. Your call-back function will be called back to tell you that processing is finished and you can do something at your end now.
You want to know when some control fires some event so that you can do some processing. You provide a call-back function as event handler.
You are not happy with default processing done by framework and want to override that processing, you provide a call-back and framework calls it back to use your own processing.
So, in general : You ask a component/framework to call your provided method. You never call that provided method from your code, someone else calls it back.
A callback function is a function that is passed to another function as a parameter, and the callback function is called (or executed) inside the another Function.
Like this
(data, function(i,e)
We can pass functions around like variables and return them in functions and use them in other functions. When we pass a callback function as an argument to another function, we are only passing the function definition.
Note that the callback function is not executed immediately. It is “called back” at some specified point inside the containing function’s body. For more info Refer Here
Normally, JavaScript statements are executed line by line. However, with effects, the next line of code can be run even though the effect is not finished. This can create errors.
To prevent this, you can create a callback function.
A callback function is executed after the current effect is finished.
For e.g, this is a call back function:
$("button").click(function(){
$("p").hide("slow", function(){
alert("The paragraph is now hidden");
});
});
In this case the function hide will be executed before that alert which is precisely what we want.
On the other hand if you don't use call back function say this way:
$("button").click(function(){
$("p").hide(1000);
alert("The paragraph is now hidden");
});
In this case alert will be executed even before the function hide is executed. This is the typical use of callback function in Javascript.
I've a javascript method defined as follows:
updtCrtEdtPage = function() {PrimeFaces.ab({source:'j_id_ev',formId:'j_id_es',process:'typeNewLOB_in lobIdForEdit j_id_ev',update:'createLOBFullPagePanel',oncomplete:function(xhr,status,args){prepareForCrtEdtFullPage();},params:arguments[0]});}
I want to execute certain method (afterComplete()) whenever this method has finished executing. (This method actually initiates an ajax request & appends the received HTML data on the DOM). So I want my afterComplete() method to be executed whenever ajax response has been received.
I cannot directly do like:
updtCrtEdtPage();
afterComplete();
as this would call the afterComplete() soon after ajax request is initiated & not completely finished executing yet.
Is there any JS/ jQuery way I could do that ?
You could pass afterComplete as a parameter so your function can call it when the ajax call is complete. Something like this...
updtCrtEdtPage = function(callback) {
PrimeFaces.ab({
source:'j_id_ev',
formId:'j_id_es',
process:'typeNewLOB_in lobIdForEdit j_id_ev',
update:'createLOBFullPagePanel',
oncomplete:function(xhr,status,args){
prepareForCrtEdtFullPage();
callback();
},
params:arguments[0]
});
}
updtCrtEdtPage(afterComplete);
Since you say you can't modify updtCrtEdtPage, but you can modify prepareForCrtEdtFullPage I'd suggest using a global variable to determine which callback function to call when the method is complete...
updtCrtEdtPageCallback = afterComplete;
and then in prepareForCrtEdtFullPage just add the last line...
updtCrtEdtPageCallback();
The first method is tidier, but the second will suffice for your particular situation.
your updtCrtEdtPage = function() has an oncomplete callback which is called when the ajax response has been received, add your afterComplete function in that callback and it will execute after the ajax request has been completed.
oncomplete:function(xhr,status,args){
prepareForCrtEdtFullPage();
afterComplete()
}
I have 2 javascript functions, the first being a function which loads ajax content (via another function), and a second which is a callback function. They look like:
function createReply(callBack){
ajaxPage('test.html', 'next-reply');
callBack();
}
function updateNext(){
document.getElementById('next-reply').id = "reply-item";
}
createReply(updateNext);
As you can see, I am calling the createReply() function and passing it the name of the callback function, in this case updateNext()
In the createReply() function, I am calling another function which loads content via ajax. When this function is complete, the callback is supposed to be executed. The callback changes the id of the div in which the ajax content is being loaded. This is where the problem is occuring
I am getting the error:
Uncaught TypeError: Cannot set property 'innerHTML' of null
Which is saying that it cannot change the content of the element with the id "next-reply" because it doesn't exist, and the reason it doesn't exist is because the callback function changes the id if that element. The intention is to have the callback fire after the ajax content has been loaded (ie; after the ajaxPage() function has been executed)
Can anyone see what the problem is? Is there a better way of implementing a callback function in plain javascript?
PS: no jQuery
As pointed out in the comments, this is due to the fact that AJAX calls happen asynchronously. The thread that createReply runs in continues to run before a response is returned from the server.
You'll need to re-factor ajaxPage to accept a reference to callback, and call it when the response is ready. Something like:
function createReply(callBack){
ajaxPage('test.html', 'next-reply', callBack);
}
Then, in ajaxPage:
function ajaxPage(url, id, callback){
//Do AJAX stuff
//When the response is returned:
if(callback) callback();
}
Right now you callback is executed right after the ajaxPage function. By right after I mean you do not wait for ajaxPage to return success. It is fired right after the ajax call goes out. It is very likely that it is not completed before your callback is fired.
It's probably obvious to you, but I can't figure it out.
I need to make function that returns it's inner-function's value. In other words, I have function get_users() that must return JSON object. That JSON object is got by $.post (built-in jQuery).
function get_users() {
return
$.post(
url_base + 'travel/trip/get_users/' + trip_id,
function(response) {
return response;
},
'json'
);
}
(above is what I tried to do, but it returned undefined - what a surprise)
Because of variable scope, I cannot just make variable in inner-function because it won't be visible in main function. I don't want to use global variables neither. Looking for better solution!
Thanks in any advice!
Why are you fighting against the asynchronous nature of AJAX? When you do AJAX you should get accustomed to work with events and callbacks instead of writing sequential code. You can't return the inner contents. The simple reason for this is that this inner function could execute much later than the outer function. So the outer function will return a result much before the success callback executes.
So here's the correct way:
function get_users() {
$.post(
url_base + 'travel/trip/get_users/' + trip_id,
function(response) {
// instead of trying to return anything here
// simply do something with the response
// Depending on what the server sent you there
// will be different ways.
// Here you could also call some other custom function
// and pass it the response
}
'json'
);
}
You can't return values from ajax calls. (Without setting async false, but that wouldn't really be ajax)
By the time you hit the inner return, the outer function has already completed
You will need to use a callback to process the users.
get_users(function(response) { // this anonymous function is passed in as a parameter
// do something with the response
});
function get_users(callback) {
$.post(
url_base + 'travel/trip/get_users/' + trip_id,
function(response) {
// call the passed in function and pass in the response as a parameter
callback(response);
},
json'
);
}
You need a primer on how asynchronous ajax calls work.
When you call $.post(), it starts a networking call to do the post and immediately returns from the $.post() call and continues executing the rest of your javascript. It will even exit your function get_users() right away.
But, the ajax call is not yet done - it's still in progress. Some time later, the ajax call will finish and when that happens the success handler for the ajax call that you have defined as function(response) {...} will get called. Only then, at that later time, is the response value from the ajax call known.
This is what asynchronous ajax means. You cannot write a call like get_users() and expect it to get the users and return with them. Instead, you have to make use of callback functions that will get called some time later (when the ajax has completed) and you can continue the path of your code then. Yes, this is inconvenient, but it's how things work in javascript with asynchronous ajax calls. The benefit of asynchronous ajax calls is that the browser and other javascript code can be fully live while the ajax call is underway. The cost of asynchronous ajax calls is that coding for them is more complicated.
You have a number of choices for how to deal with this complication. First off, you can make your get_users() call and then just continue the programming sequence that you want to carry out in the internal callback inside of get_users() since that's the only place that the response (the actual users) is known. If you're only using get_users() in one place in your code, then that could work fine. It would look like this:
function get_users() {
$.post(
url_base + 'travel/trip/get_users/' + trip_id,
function(response) {
// process the user list here and continue whatever other code you
// need that deals with the user list
},
'json'
);
}
If you need to use get_users() in several different places for different purposes, then you can change it to take a callback itself and let the post call just call that callback when the ajax call is done. You would then complete your processing of the response in that callback function:
function get_users(callback) {
$.post(
url_base + 'travel/trip/get_users/' + trip_id,
callback,
'json'
);
}
In this second option you could call get_users() like this:
get_users(function(response) {
// process the user list here and continue whatever other code you
// need that deals with the user list
});
There are even more advanced options available using jQuery's deferred object.
I am very new to JavaScript and need to use callback function in my java script function. I don't know how to use a callback function. Below is my code:
function SelectedFeature() {
// Here is my code call_Method1();
call_Method2();
}
The problem in the above function is that, call_method2() starts executing before call_Method1() ends its execution. To solve this problem, someone told me to use a callback function. Now how can I use callback function in my SelectedFeature() function? Please explain by using code sample.
I'm making an asynchronous request in call_method1(). I need call_Method2() should be called after completing execution call_method1(). But in my case, call_method2() calls before call_method1() completes its execution. Now how can I fix this?
You have to refactor call_method1() to accept and execute a callback after it finished execution:
call_method1(call_method2);
and
function call_method1(callback) {
// ...
// do asynchronous stuff, when the response is processed, call
if(typeof callback === 'function') {
callback();
}
// ...
}
Functions are first class citizens, so by referring to them by their name, you can pass them around like any other value.
We could help better if you post the code for call_method1.
What are you using to do your asynchronous call? Did you code it yourself or are you using a library like JQuery?
You could simply put a bool to say "working" that you set to true as method 1 starts and back to false when it finishes. you could then have method2 wait while working is true.
The question has already been answered above by Felix. Inspired by his answer and an issue I am having in a current project, I wrote a little gist that has a class that adds up a little extra safety.
To sum up, you pass a callback function just as the way you pass a variable. Then the receiver will trigger it as a function.
myCoolFunction: function( data ) {
// Do some thing with response
}
$.get( '/some/cool/url', myCoolFunction );
In the above $.get calls back myCoolFunction with the parameter data once the data is fetched
What happens if myCoolFunciton is a variable. Well it depends on how the receiver handles the input.
Just to be careful, I have a CoffeeScript class ( and its JavaScript compilation ) that will do some safety checks.
It doesn't do any thing magic, checks if its a function and returns, if not returns an empty function so that it would reduce possibility of JS error. https://gist.github.com/ziyan-junaideen/8717925