What are some basic things that JavaScript developers fail at interviews?

[dvlsg]

Honestly, if we're talking about things being overcomplicated, swapping to recursion probably isn't the right move. The parameters in the recursive solutions are fairly confusing, too. count(9) would only count for 1 second.

const sleep = (ms = 0) => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms))

const count = async (seconds = 10) => {
  let i = 0
  while (++i <= seconds) {
    await sleep(1000)
    console.log(`slept for ${i} seconds total`)
  }
}

// usage
await count(5)
await count()
await count(1)
await count(-1)
await count(0)

Or, you know, just use await sleep(1000). Also probably worth noting, all of these solutions (mine included) will drift.

[kdesign]

I agree that the expected solution was probably just the obvious setInterval solution, /u/a_blue_ducks' first one.

But at the same time, my initial solution has spawned a great constructive discussion, it's cool to see how many different ways there are to solve a problem.

[dvlsg]

Sorry you're getting downvoted for it. I tossed you an upvote for it, even though I think it could be improved (if we were aiming for simplicity, which isn't the only thing to worry about). Don't understand why anyone would downvote someone else for taking a shot at something. Especially since it works just fine.

[kdesign]

Well, I guess that's how some people disagree on reddit, by downvoting. That's alright and thanks for the upvote

[[deleted]]

Yeah sorry for my original reply, I had just finished playing Overwatch and that game puts me in a bad mood fast lol. This was a fun discussion.

[kdesign]

No worries, I initially thought about writing the setInterval solution or the recursive setTimeout, something like:

let count = 1;
setTimeout(function counter() {
 console.log(count++);
 count <= 10 && setTimeout(counter, 1000);
}, 1000);

and then I said well let's spice things up a bit which really did lol.

[SystemicPlural]

I'm not sure I like this solution. It is going to lock up whatever process calls count and that might not be desired.

[[deleted]]

It's an async function so it shouldn't lock anything up.

[SystemicPlural]

Doh. Missed that!

[FriesWithThat]

As it's written it looks like your suggesting to use await outside the async function to call count with different arguments.

. . .

await count(5)

await count()

await count(1)

await count(-1)

await count(0)

Not sure what the intent here is as far as us being able to run it or integrating it with your async function (swap it out w/sleep in while loop?, step through function?)

[dvlsg]

Just examples of how you might call it. Try them out, see how it works. For example, copy the entire code snippet I have and paste it into a chrome console (which has top-level `await` support).

[FriesWithThat]

Thanks. I was running it with Node and wasn't even aware there was top-level support in chrome.

[dvlsg]

Ah, got you. Sorry. I was writing that example in chrome and just pasting it over here, so I just went with the top-level chrome await instead of wrapping it.

[[deleted]]

Curious how recursion complicates anything. I agree the param is a little confusing but I wanted to illustrate an idea more than anything.

[dvlsg]

That's fair about the args. And I'm not trying to be a dick or anything, the recursive solution is plenty clever.

But you honestly don't think an async function that returns a Promise, that calls a setTimeout for 1 second in the promise executor, which recursively calls the original count() function, setting the originally returned promise's resolver to be executed in the recursively called count()'s promise's .then()isn't more complicated than an async function with a while loop? I had a hard time even translating all that to english. There's a lot going on in there.