What are debouncing and throttling in JavaScript?

What are debouncing and throttling in JavaScript?

Debouncing and throttling are 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 number of times a function can be called over a specific time frame.

Can you give me an example of debouncing?

Sure! A common example of debouncing is in search input fields. When a user types, the search function is triggered only after they stop typing for a specified duration, preventing excessive calls to the server.

And what about throttling? How does that work?

Throttling allows a function to be called at most once in a specified time interval. For instance, if you have a scroll event listener, throttling can ensure that the function runs only once every 200 milliseconds, regardless of how many times the event is triggered.

When should I use debouncing over throttling?

Use debouncing when you want to wait for a pause in activity, like in search inputs. Use throttling when you want to limit the frequency of function calls, like during scrolling or resizing.