How to Implement a Sleep or Delay Function in JavaScript Like Java's Thread.sleep()?

Question

How can I achieve a sleep or delay functionality in JavaScript similar to Java's Thread.sleep() method?

function sleep(ms) {
  return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
}

Answer

In Java, the `Thread.sleep()` method pauses the execution of the current thread for a specified number of milliseconds. JavaScript does not have a direct equivalent due to its single-threaded nature, but you can achieve a similar effect using `setTimeout` in combination with Promises and async/await syntax.

async function demoSleep() {
  console.log('Wait for 2 seconds...');
  await sleep(2000); // pauses execution for 2000 milliseconds
  console.log('2 seconds later!');
}

demoSleep();

Causes

  • Misunderstanding the asynchronous nature of JavaScript.
  • Attempting to pause execution directly which can block the event loop.

Solutions

  • Use the `setTimeout()` function for simple delays.
  • Utilize async/await with Promises for cleaner, more manageable code.

Common Mistakes

Mistake: Blocking the event loop while trying to implement sleep functionality.

Solution: Use asynchronous techniques such as async/await to prevent blocking.

Mistake: Forgetting that setTimeout() takes milliseconds as an argument.

Solution: Ensure you convert seconds to milliseconds by multiplying by 1000 when using setTimeout.

Helpers

  • JavaScript sleep function
  • Java Thread.sleep equivalent in JavaScript
  • setTimeout in JavaScript
  • async await delay function
  • how to pause execution in JavaScript

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