use-debounce vs use-throttle
React Hooks for Performance Optimization Comparison
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use-debounceuse-throttleSimilar Packages:
What's React Hooks for Performance Optimization?

Both 'use-debounce' and 'use-throttle' are React hooks designed to optimize performance by controlling how often a function is executed in response to user input or events. They help prevent excessive function calls during rapid events, such as typing in a search box or resizing a window. While 'use-debounce' delays the execution of a function until after a specified period of inactivity, 'use-throttle' ensures that a function is executed at most once in a specified time interval, regardless of how many times the event occurs. Understanding the differences between these hooks is crucial for developers aiming to enhance user experience and application performance.

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use-debounce1,793,5353,133106 kB65 months agoMIT
use-throttle9,4163992.2 kB0-MIT
Feature Comparison: use-debounce vs use-throttle

Execution Timing

  • use-debounce:

    The 'use-debounce' hook delays the execution of the callback function until after a specified delay period has passed since the last time the event was triggered. This is particularly useful for scenarios where you want to wait until the user has stopped typing before executing a function, such as making an API call for search suggestions.

  • use-throttle:

    The 'use-throttle' hook limits the execution of the callback function to at most once per specified time interval. This is beneficial for events that can fire rapidly, like scrolling or resizing, ensuring that the function does not overwhelm the application with too many calls.

Use Cases

  • use-debounce:

    Ideal for input fields where you want to wait for the user to finish typing before sending a request, such as in search bars or auto-suggest features. It helps in reducing the number of API calls and enhances performance by only executing the function when necessary.

  • use-throttle:

    Best suited for high-frequency events like scrolling or window resizing, where you want to maintain performance without dropping frames. It ensures that the function is called at a consistent rate, improving the overall responsiveness of the application.

Performance Impact

  • use-debounce:

    By reducing the number of function calls, 'use-debounce' can significantly improve performance in scenarios with rapid user input. It minimizes unnecessary processing and network requests, leading to a smoother user experience.

  • use-throttle:

    'use-throttle' helps maintain performance by controlling the frequency of function calls, preventing the application from becoming sluggish during events that trigger frequently. This is crucial for maintaining a responsive UI.

Implementation Complexity

  • use-debounce:

    Implementing 'use-debounce' is straightforward, requiring only the specification of a delay time and the callback function. It is easy to integrate into existing components without significant changes to the logic.

  • use-throttle:

    While 'use-throttle' is also simple to implement, it may require additional considerations for managing state and ensuring that the throttled function behaves as expected during rapid events.

User Experience

  • use-debounce:

    Enhances user experience by providing a more responsive interface, as it avoids lag caused by excessive function calls during input. Users will notice a smoother interaction when typing in fields that utilize this hook.

  • use-throttle:

    Improves user experience during high-frequency events by ensuring consistent performance. Users will experience a more fluid interface, especially during actions like scrolling or resizing, without noticeable delays.

How to Choose: use-debounce vs use-throttle
  • use-debounce:

    Choose 'use-debounce' when you want to delay the execution of a function until after a specified delay, which is particularly useful for scenarios like search input where you want to avoid making API calls on every keystroke.

  • use-throttle:

    Choose 'use-throttle' when you need to ensure that a function is executed at a controlled rate, such as during window resizing or scrolling events, to prevent performance issues from excessive calls.

README for use-debounce

useDebounce, useDebouncedCallback & useThrottledCallback

React libraries for debouncing without tears!

  • Small size < 1 Kb
  • Compatible with underscore / lodash impl — learn once, use everywhere
  • Server-rendering friendly!

Features

Install

yarn add use-debounce
# or
npm i use-debounce --save

Copy paste guidance:

use-debounce

Simple usage: https://codesandbox.io/s/kx75xzyrq7

Debounce HTTP request: https://codesandbox.io/s/rr40wnropq

Debounce HTTP request with leading param: https://codesandbox.io/s/cache-example-with-areas-and-leading-param-119r3i

use-debounce callback

Simple usage: https://codesandbox.io/s/x0jvqrwyq

Combining with native event listeners: https://codesandbox.io/s/32yqlyo815

Cancelling, maxWait and memoization: https://codesandbox.io/s/4wvmp1xlw4

HTTP requests: https://codesandbox.io/s/use-debounce-callback-http-y1h3m6

Changelog

https://github.com/xnimorz/use-debounce/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md

Simple values debouncing

According to https://twitter.com/dan_abramov/status/1060729512227467264 WebArchive link: https://web.archive.org/web/20210828073432/https://twitter.com/dan_abramov/status/1060729512227467264

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { useDebounce } from 'use-debounce';

export default function Input() {
  const [text, setText] = useState('Hello');
  const [value] = useDebounce(text, 1000);

  return (
    <div>
      <input
        defaultValue={'Hello'}
        onChange={(e) => {
          setText(e.target.value);
        }}
      />
      <p>Actual value: {text}</p>
      <p>Debounce value: {value}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

This hook compares prev and next value using shallow equal. It means, setting an object {} will trigger debounce timer. If you have to compare objects (https://github.com/xnimorz/use-debounce/issues/27#issuecomment-496828063), you can use useDebouncedCallback, that is explained below:

Debounced callbacks

Besides useDebounce for values you can debounce callbacks, that is the more commonly understood kind of debouncing. Example with Input (and react callbacks): https://codesandbox.io/s/x0jvqrwyq

import { useDebouncedCallback } from 'use-debounce';

function Input({ defaultValue }) {
  const [value, setValue] = useState(defaultValue);
  // Debounce callback
  const debounced = useDebouncedCallback(
    // function
    (value) => {
      setValue(value);
    },
    // delay in ms
    1000
  );

  // you should use `e => debounced(e.target.value)` as react works with synthetic events
  return (
    <div>
      <input
        defaultValue={defaultValue}
        onChange={(e) => debounced(e.target.value)}
      />
      <p>Debounced value: {value}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Example with Scroll (and native event listeners): https://codesandbox.io/s/32yqlyo815

function ScrolledComponent() {
  // just a counter to show, that there are no any unnessesary updates
  const updatedCount = useRef(0);
  updatedCount.current++;

  const [position, setPosition] = useState(window.pageYOffset);

  // Debounce callback
  const debounced = useDebouncedCallback(
    // function
    () => {
      setPosition(window.pageYOffset);
    },
    // delay in ms
    800
  );

  useEffect(() => {
    const unsubscribe = subscribe(window, 'scroll', debounced);
    return () => {
      unsubscribe();
    };
  }, []);

  return (
    <div style={{ height: 10000 }}>
      <div style={{ position: 'fixed', top: 0, left: 0 }}>
        <p>Debounced top position: {position}</p>
        <p>Component rerendered {updatedCount.current} times</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Returned value from debounced()

Subsequent calls to the debounced function debounced return the result of the last func invocation. Note, that if there are no previous invocations it's mean you will get undefined. You should check it in your code properly.

Example:

it('Subsequent calls to the debounced function `debounced` return the result of the last func invocation.', () => {
  const callback = jest.fn(() => 42);

  let callbackCache;
  function Component() {
    const debounced = useDebouncedCallback(callback, 1000);
    callbackCache = debounced;
    return null;
  }
  Enzyme.mount(<Component />);

  const result = callbackCache();
  expect(callback.mock.calls.length).toBe(0);
  expect(result).toBeUndefined();

  act(() => {
    jest.runAllTimers();
  });
  expect(callback.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);
  const subsequentResult = callbackCache();

  expect(callback.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);
  expect(subsequentResult).toBe(42);
});

Advanced usage

Cancel, maxWait and memoization

  1. Both useDebounce and useDebouncedCallback works with maxWait option. This params describes the maximum time func is allowed to be delayed before it's invoked.
  2. You can cancel debounce cycle, by calling cancel callback

The full example you can see here https://codesandbox.io/s/4wvmp1xlw4

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import { useDebouncedCallback } from 'use-debounce';

function Input({ defaultValue }) {
  const [value, setValue] = useState(defaultValue);
  const debounced = useDebouncedCallback(
    (value) => {
      setValue(value);
    },
    500,
    // The maximum time func is allowed to be delayed before it's invoked:
    { maxWait: 2000 }
  );

  // you should use `e => debounced(e.target.value)` as react works with synthetic events
  return (
    <div>
      <input
        defaultValue={defaultValue}
        onChange={(e) => debounced(e.target.value)}
      />
      <p>Debounced value: {value}</p>
      <button onClick={debounced.cancel}>Cancel Debounce cycle</button>
    </div>
  );
}

const rootElement = document.getElementById('root');
ReactDOM.render(<Input defaultValue="Hello world" />, rootElement);

The same API is available for useDebounce calls:

const [value, {cancel, isPending, flush}] = useDebounce(valueToDebounce);
...
cancel() // cancels pending debounce request
isPending() // returns if there is a pending debouncing request
flush() // immediately flushes pending request

Flush method

useDebouncedCallback has flush method. It allows to call the callback manually if it hasn't fired yet. This method is handy to use when the user takes an action that would cause the component to unmount, but you need to execute the callback.

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { useDebouncedCallback } from 'use-debounce';

function InputWhichFetchesSomeData({ defaultValue, asyncFetchData }) {
  const debounced = useDebouncedCallback(
    (value) => {
      asyncFetchData;
    },
    500,
    { maxWait: 2000 }
  );

  // When the component goes to be unmounted, we will fetch data if the input has changed.
  useEffect(
    () => () => {
      debounced.flush();
    },
    [debounced]
  );

  return (
    <input
      defaultValue={defaultValue}
      onChange={(e) => debounced(e.target.value)}
    />
  );
}

isPending method

isPending method shows whether component has pending callbacks. Works for both useDebounce and useDebouncedCallback:

import React, { useCallback } from 'react';

function Component({ text }) {
  const debounced = useDebouncedCallback(
    useCallback(() => {}, []),
    500
  );

  expect(debounced.isPending()).toBeFalsy();
  debounced();
  expect(debounced.isPending()).toBeTruthy();
  debounced.flush();
  expect(debounced.isPending()).toBeFalsy();

  return <span>{text}</span>;
}

leading/trailing calls

Both useDebounce and useDebouncedCallback work with the leading and trailing options. leading param will execute the function once immediately when called. Subsequent calls will be debounced until the timeout expires. trailing option controls whenever to call the callback after timeout again.

For more information on how leading debounce calls work see: https://lodash.com/docs/#debounce

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { useDebounce } from 'use-debounce';

export default function Input() {
  const [text, setText] = useState('Hello');
  const [value] = useDebounce(text, 1000, { leading: true });

  // value is updated immediately when text changes the first time,
  // but all subsequent changes are debounced.
  return (
    <div>
      <input
        defaultValue={'Hello'}
        onChange={(e) => {
          setText(e.target.value);
        }}
      />
      <p>Actual value: {text}</p>
      <p>Debounce value: {value}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Options:

You can provide additional options as a third argument to both useDebounce and useDebouncedCallback:

| option | default | Description | Example | | ---------- | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | maxWait | - | Describes the maximum time func is allowed to be delayed before it's invoked | https://github.com/xnimorz/use-debounce#cancel-maxwait-and-memoization | | leading | - | This param will execute the function once immediately when called. Subsequent calls will be debounced until the timeout expires. | https://github.com/xnimorz/use-debounce#leading-calls | | trailing | true | This param executes the function after timeout. | https://github.com/xnimorz/use-debounce#leading-calls | | equalityFn | (prev, next) => prev === next | [useDebounce ONLY] Comparator function which shows if timeout should be started | |

useThrottledCallback

You are able to use throttled callback with this library also (starting 5.2.0 version). For this purpose use:

import useThrottledCallback from 'use-debounce/useThrottledCallback';

or

import { useThrottledCallback } from 'use-debounce';

Several examples:

  1. Avoid excessively updating the position while scrolling.

    const scrollHandler = useThrottledCallback(updatePosition, 100);
    window.addEventListener('scroll', scrollHandler);
    
  2. Invoke renewToken when the click event is fired, but not more than once every 5 minutes.

    const throttled = useThrottledCallback(renewToken, 300000, { 'trailing': false })
    <button onClick={throttled}>click</button>
    

All the params for useThrottledCallback are the same as for useDebouncedCallback except maxWait option. As it's not needed for throttle callbacks.

Special thanks:

@tryggvigy — for managing lots of new features of the library like trailing and leading params, throttle callback, etc;

@omgovich — for reducing bundle size.