What is the difference between throttling and debouncing in programming?

What is the difference between throttling and debouncing in programming?

Throttling and debouncing are both techniques used to control the rate at which a function is executed. Throttling ensures that a function is called at most once in a specified time period, while debouncing ensures that a function is only called after a specified delay, preventing multiple calls during rapid events.

Can you give me an example of when to use each?

Sure! Use throttling for events like scrolling or resizing, where you want to limit the number of times a function runs. Use debouncing for events like key presses in a search box, where you want to wait until the user has stopped typing before executing the function.

How do I implement throttling in JavaScript?

You can implement throttling in JavaScript using a simple function that keeps track of the last time the function was called and only allows it to run again after a specified interval.

What libraries can help with throttling and debouncing?

Libraries like Lodash provide built-in methods for both throttling and debouncing, making it easy to implement these techniques in your projects.