When should I use web workers in my web application?

What are web workers and when should I use them?

Web workers are scripts that run in background threads, allowing you to perform tasks without blocking the main thread. You should use them when you have heavy computations or tasks that could freeze the UI.

Can you give me an example of a task that would benefit from using a web worker?

Sure! A good example is image processing. If you're applying filters or resizing images, doing this in a web worker prevents the UI from becoming unresponsive.

Are there any downsides to using web workers?

Yes, there are a few. Web workers have a separate scope, so they can't access the DOM directly, and there's some overhead in communication between the main thread and the worker.

How do I create a web worker in my application?

You can create a web worker by using the Worker constructor in JavaScript, passing the path to your worker script. Then, you can communicate with it using postMessage and onmessage.