What is the difference between debouncing and throttling in programming?

What is the difference between debouncing and throttling in programming?

Debouncing and throttling are both techniques used to control the rate at which a function is executed. Debouncing ensures that a function is only called after a certain period of inactivity, while throttling limits the function to be called at most once in a specified time interval.

Can you give me examples of when to use each?

Sure! Use debouncing for scenarios like search input where you want to wait until the user stops typing before making a request. Throttling is useful for events like scrolling or resizing, where you want to limit the number of times a function is called during continuous events.

What are some common use cases for these techniques?

Common use cases for debouncing include form validation and auto-saving, while throttling is often used for handling scroll events, API calls during user interactions, and animations.

How do I implement debouncing in JavaScript?

You can implement debouncing in JavaScript by using a timeout function. Here's a simple example:

function debounce(func, delay) {
    let timeout;
    return function(...args) {
        clearTimeout(timeout);
        timeout = setTimeout(() => func.apply(this, args), delay);
    };
}

This will ensure that func is only called after delay milliseconds have passed since the last call.