webwork.js

Execute Web Workers without external files.

Typically, Javascript code executes in a single thread, with each task lined up to execute after the previous one has completed.

By calling in external files, Web Workers allow browsers to process large tasks in the background, creating new threads to handle more tasks simultaneously. Webwork.js lets you create and execute Web Workers inline without the need for importing external files.

Usage is really simple:

import webwork from '@kolodny/webwork';
callableWebworker = webwork(callback);

callback takes a single data argument and should return the result
callableWebworker is a function that takes the data to send and
a node style callback ie function(err, result) {}

JSBin Demo

Example

var goodWorker = webwork(function (data) {
    return "!!" + data  + "!!";
});
var badWorker = webwork(function (data) {
    return "!!" + data + imNotDefined + "!!";
});

goodWorker("Test123", function(err, result) {
    if (err) return alert("goodWorker Errored with " + err.message);
    alert("first goodWorker returned with " + result);
});
goodWorker("Test123", function(err, result) {
    if (err) return alert("goodWorker Errored with " + err.message);
    alert("second goodWorker returned with " + result);
});
badWorker("Test456", function(err, result) {
    if (err) return alert("badWorker Errored with " + err.message);
    alert("badWorker returned with " + result);
});
alert("Since webworkers are async this should happen first.\nThe callbacks may fire in any order");

The astute may realize that they can access the event variable inside the callback.
Also since the callback is stringified and injected into the webworker, you don't have access to any vars in scope

What to Use webwork.js for and When to Use It

webwork.js is best used for any project that requires web workers, but needs to minimize or eliminate external web worker files. It also allows for simpler, cleaner inline web worker code. webwork.js should be used when a project:

• needs web workers, but wants to keep code inline for minification and distribution purposes
• needs web workers, but wants to keep code inline to avoid excessive external web worker files and page requests
• needs inline web workers, and wants to avoid repetitive and tedious Blob code