Company
Date Published
Author
Daishi Kato
Word count
1750
Language
-
Hacker News points
None

Summary

The article explores the implementation of both synchronous and asynchronous infinite counters using streams and generators in Node.js, highlighting their similarities and fundamental differences. It explains how the Node.js Stream API, primarily used for handling large asynchronous data, can be utilized to create both pull-based and push-based streams, demonstrating the differences in buffering and control over data flow. In contrast, generators, introduced in ES2015, offer a loop abstraction capable of representing infinite data lengths without buffering, and when combined with ES2018’s async iterators, can manage asynchronous data with precise control over each loop iteration. Through practical examples, the article illustrates the nuances between streams, which buffer data, and generators, which handle data on-demand, while providing insights into their application in creating counters that count indefinitely.