Question

I have been under the impression for that JavaScript was always asynchronous. However, I have learned that there are situations where it is not (ie DOM manipulations). Is there a good reference anywhere about when it will be synchronous and when it will be asynchronous? Does jQuery affect this at all?

Answer 1

JavaScript is always synchronous and single-threaded. If you’re executing a JavaScript block of code on a page then no other JavaScript on that page will currently be executed.

JavaScript is only asynchronous in the sense that it can make, for example, Ajax calls. The Ajax call will stop executing and other code will be able to execute until the call returns (successfully or otherwise), at which point the callback will run synchronously. No other code will be running at this point. It won’t interrupt any other code that’s currently running.

JavaScript timers operate with this same kind of callback.

Describing JavaScript as asynchronous is perhaps misleading. It’s more accurate to say that JavaScript is synchronous and single-threaded with various callback mechanisms.

jQuery has an option on Ajax calls to make them synchronously (with the async: false option). Beginners might be tempted to use this incorrectly because it allows a more traditional programming model that one might be more used to. The reason it’s problematic is that this option will block all JavaScript on the page until it finishes, including all event handlers and timers.