async vs p-map
JavaScript Concurrency Control Libraries Comparison
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What's JavaScript Concurrency Control Libraries?

Concurrency control libraries in JavaScript help manage asynchronous operations, allowing developers to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without blocking the main thread. These libraries provide utilities for managing control flow, making it easier to work with asynchronous code, especially in environments like Node.js where non-blocking I/O is crucial. The main benefits include improved performance, better resource management, and enhanced readability of asynchronous code, which can often become complex and difficult to maintain.

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async61,239,06028,238808 kB118 months agoMIT
p-map50,247,4981,41221.2 kB124 months agoMIT
Feature Comparison: async vs p-map

Concurrency Control

  • async:

    Async provides various methods for controlling concurrency, such as async.parallel, async.series, and async.eachLimit. These methods allow you to run multiple asynchronous tasks in parallel or in series, giving you fine-grained control over how tasks are executed and their order, which is essential for managing complex workflows.

  • p-map:

    p-map allows you to specify a concurrency limit when mapping over an array of promises. This means you can control how many promises are executed simultaneously, preventing overwhelming the system or external resources, which is particularly useful for tasks like API requests or file operations.

Ease of Use

  • async:

    Async has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive API and various utility functions. While it offers powerful features, developers may need time to familiarize themselves with its syntax and best practices, especially for more complex use cases.

  • p-map:

    p-map is straightforward and easy to use, focusing on a single task: mapping over promises with concurrency control. Its simplicity makes it accessible for developers who want to quickly implement concurrent operations without the overhead of learning a larger library.

Error Handling

  • async:

    Async provides built-in error handling mechanisms, allowing you to manage errors in a centralized way. Functions like async.waterfall and async.series automatically propagate errors, making it easier to catch and handle them without cluttering your code with repetitive try-catch blocks.

  • p-map:

    p-map relies on standard promise rejection for error handling. If a promise in the mapping function rejects, it will reject the entire operation. While this is straightforward, it requires developers to handle errors explicitly within their mapping function.

Performance

  • async:

    Async can introduce some overhead due to its extensive feature set and flexibility. In scenarios with a high volume of asynchronous tasks, this overhead may impact performance, especially if not used optimally. However, it is highly efficient for complex workflows where its features can be fully utilized.

  • p-map:

    p-map is designed for performance with a focus on mapping operations. By allowing developers to set concurrency limits, it helps optimize resource usage and can lead to better performance in scenarios where you need to control the number of concurrent operations.

Community and Ecosystem

  • async:

    Async has been around for a long time and has a large community and ecosystem. It is widely used in various projects, and there are many resources, tutorials, and examples available, making it easier to find help and support.

  • p-map:

    p-map is a more recent library and, while it has gained popularity, its community and ecosystem are not as extensive as Async's. However, it is well-documented and has a clear focus, which can be beneficial for developers looking for a specific solution.

How to Choose: async vs p-map
  • async:

    Choose Async if you need a comprehensive library that provides a wide range of utilities for working with asynchronous JavaScript, including functions for parallel and series execution, control flow, and error handling. It is suitable for complex scenarios where you need to manage multiple asynchronous tasks with different patterns.

  • p-map:

    Choose p-map if you are specifically looking for a simple and efficient way to map over asynchronous operations with concurrency control. It is ideal for scenarios where you want to process an array of promises with a specified limit on how many can run concurrently, making it a lightweight and focused solution.

Similar Npm Packages to async

async is a utility module that provides powerful functions for working with asynchronous JavaScript. It simplifies the process of managing asynchronous operations, allowing developers to write cleaner and more maintainable code. With features like parallel execution, series execution, and control flow, async is particularly useful for handling complex asynchronous workflows. However, there are several alternatives in the JavaScript ecosystem that also provide similar functionalities. Here are a few notable ones:

  • bluebird is a fully-featured promise library that offers a wide range of utilities for working with promises. It enhances the native Promise functionality by providing additional features such as cancellation, progress tracking, and more robust error handling. bluebird is known for its performance and is a great choice for developers looking for an advanced promise library that can handle complex asynchronous tasks with ease.

  • p-map is a lightweight utility that allows you to map over an array asynchronously, executing a provided function for each element in parallel. It is particularly useful when you need to perform asynchronous operations on an array of items and want to control the concurrency level. p-map is simple to use and can be a great alternative for scenarios where you need to process multiple asynchronous tasks without the overhead of a larger library.

  • q is another promise library that focuses on providing a simple and straightforward API for working with asynchronous code. It was one of the earlier promise libraries in the JavaScript ecosystem and offers features like chaining, error handling, and more. While it may not be as feature-rich as some of the newer libraries, q is still a solid choice for developers looking for a lightweight solution for managing asynchronous operations.

To see how async compares with bluebird, p-map, and q, check out the comparison: Comparing async vs bluebird vs p-map vs q.

Similar Npm Packages to p-map

p-map is a utility library for mapping over asynchronous operations in a more manageable way. It allows developers to run multiple promises concurrently while controlling the number of promises that are executed at any given time. This makes it particularly useful for scenarios where you need to perform multiple asynchronous tasks without overwhelming the system or the API being called. With p-map, you can specify a concurrency limit, ensuring that only a certain number of promises are processed simultaneously, which helps in optimizing resource usage and improving performance.

While p-map is a great tool for handling concurrent asynchronous operations, there are several alternatives that provide similar functionalities. Here are a few noteworthy alternatives:

  • p-all is a utility that allows you to run multiple promises in parallel and returns a single promise that resolves when all of the promises have resolved. Unlike p-map, which focuses on mapping over an array with concurrency control, p-all is straightforward and simply executes all promises at once. This can be useful when you want to wait for multiple asynchronous operations to complete without worrying about limiting the number of concurrent executions.

  • p-queue is a promise queue that allows you to manage the execution of asynchronous tasks with fine-grained control. It provides features such as concurrency limits, priority levels, and the ability to pause and resume the queue. p-queue is particularly useful when you need to manage a large number of asynchronous tasks and want to ensure that they are executed in a controlled manner, making it a powerful alternative to p-map for more complex scenarios.

  • p-series is a utility that runs promises in series, meaning that it waits for each promise to resolve before starting the next one. This is different from p-map, which allows for concurrent execution. If your use case requires that tasks be executed one after another rather than in parallel, p-series is the appropriate choice.

To explore how these packages compare, check out the following link: Comparing p-all vs p-map vs p-queue vs p-series.

README for async

Async Logo

Github Actions CI status NPM version Coverage Status Join the chat at https://gitter.im/caolan/async jsDelivr Hits

Async is a utility module which provides straight-forward, powerful functions for working with asynchronous JavaScript. Although originally designed for use with Node.js and installable via npm i async, it can also be used directly in the browser. An ESM/MJS version is included in the main async package that should automatically be used with compatible bundlers such as Webpack and Rollup.

A pure ESM version of Async is available as async-es.

For Documentation, visit https://caolan.github.io/async/

For Async v1.5.x documentation, go HERE

// for use with Node-style callbacks...
var async = require("async");

var obj = {dev: "/dev.json", test: "/test.json", prod: "/prod.json"};
var configs = {};

async.forEachOf(obj, (value, key, callback) => {
    fs.readFile(__dirname + value, "utf8", (err, data) => {
        if (err) return callback(err);
        try {
            configs[key] = JSON.parse(data);
        } catch (e) {
            return callback(e);
        }
        callback();
    });
}, err => {
    if (err) console.error(err.message);
    // configs is now a map of JSON data
    doSomethingWith(configs);
});

var async = require("async");

// ...or ES2017 async functions
async.mapLimit(urls, 5, async function(url) {
    const response = await fetch(url)
    return response.body
}, (err, results) => {
    if (err) throw err
    // results is now an array of the response bodies
    console.log(results)
})
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