JavaScript: Debounce vs Throttle
Here I describe in detail debounce and throttle so let’s get started.
Debounce and throttle are two techniques in JavaScript to control how often a function is executed, especially when it’s triggered by events that happen frequently like scrolling, resizing, or typing.
The key difference between debounce and throttle :
Debounce:
- Executes the function after a delay following the last event call.
- Useful when you want to ensure the function runs only after a specific user action is completed for example: waiting for the user to finish typing.
Throttle:
- Executes the function at most once per interval while the event is continuously triggered.
- Useful when you need to control the frequency of execution for example updating the UI while scrolling, resizing, etc.
let’s go to see a real project example and discuss how work debounces and throttles:
Debounce:
Suppose you want to create a search functionality where users can search for products. As a developer, when you integrate the product API to fetch data from the server, making an API call on every keypress can be expensive. In this case, you can implement a debounce technique to wait until the user has stopped typing for a certain amount of time before making the API request.
Throttle:
When handling a scroll event, such as showing a “back to top” button or lazy-loading images, the event can fire dozens of times per second. Using throttle ensures that the event handler function is executed at a controlled rate, preventing performance issues caused by repeatedly calling a function.
