If I have:

fetched_user.settings = null;
fetched_user.settings = JSON.stringify(settings);
$http.post('/api_endpoint', {
  val: fetched_user.settings
});

And JSON.stringify takes forever to execute, then my understanding is val: fetched_user.settings will likely be null since this is executed asynchronously (async newbie checkpoint: is this correct?).

Normally in these situations I would supply a callback function to be executed on pletion of the long-running task, however, JSON.stringify() doesn't provide the option for a callback.

How should I write this?

If I have:

fetched_user.settings = null;
fetched_user.settings = JSON.stringify(settings);
$http.post('/api_endpoint', {
  val: fetched_user.settings
});

And JSON.stringify takes forever to execute, then my understanding is val: fetched_user.settings will likely be null since this is executed asynchronously (async newbie checkpoint: is this correct?).

Normally in these situations I would supply a callback function to be executed on pletion of the long-running task, however, JSON.stringify() doesn't provide the option for a callback.

How should I write this?

• javascript
• json
• node.js
• asynchronous

Share Improve this question Follow edited Jan 4, 2014 at 3:45 max asked Jan 4, 2014 at 2:53 maxmax 61788 silver badges2020 bronze badges 4

• Why would you want it to be async? Are user setting that big? – Nathaniel Johnson Commented Jan 4, 2014 at 3:00
• If you want it to be async, use web workers or setTimeout. – Qantas 94 Heavy Commented Jan 4, 2014 at 3:10
• Nope, settings aren't big right now. But if it were async and I relied on the fact that it executed quickly while small, then should it ever take much longer to execute it would be a tricky bug to track down. – max Commented Jan 4, 2014 at 3:39
• Async APIs usually either have a callback function passed as a parameter, or return a Promise. In either case, they wouldn't have a value ever directly available via the function return. So, it wouldn't work only some times. – WiredPrairie Commented Jan 4, 2014 at 13:21

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JSON.stringify is not asynchronous so the $http.post line won't execute until stringification is done.