Question

The following snippet works as expected:

function boxAnimation() {
        var dfd = $.Deferred();
        $('div').fadeIn('slow', dfd.resolve);            
        return dfd.promise();
    }

    $(function () {
        boxAnimation().done(
            function () { $(this).animate({ 'margin-top': 50 }); },
            function () { $(this).animate({ 'margin-left': 150 }); },
            function () { $(this).animate({ 'margin-top': 250 }); },
            function () { $(this).animate({ 'margin-left': 350 }); }
        ).fail(function () { alert('failed'); });
    });

However in this one the differed object is neither rejected or resolved.

Please tell me where am I going wrong.

function boxAnimation() {
        var dfd = $.Deferred();
        var randomNum = Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);
        $('div').fadeIn('slow', function () {
            if (randomNum == 1) {
                dfd.reject;
            }
            else {
                dfd.resolve;
            }
        });            
        return dfd.promise();
    }

    $(function () {
        boxAnimation().done(
            function () { $(this).animate({ 'margin-top': 50 }); },
            function () { $(this).animate({ 'margin-left': 150 }); },
            function () { $(this).animate({ 'margin-top': 250 }); },
            function () { $(this).animate({ 'margin-left': 350 }); }
        ).fail(function () { alert('failed'); });
    });

my body is:

<div id='box' style='width:200px; height:200px; border:solid 1px #222222; display:none; background:#cccccc'></div>

Answer 1

You should call functions; currently you’re accessing them and leaving them untouched. By actually calling reject/resolve, you are really rejecting/resolving things.

In the fadeIn in the first example, you passed it without (). This is correct, because you should leave it untouched at that point. jQuery will internally call the function when the animation is done.

Since in the second example the calls are already in a function that is executed when the animation is done, you should call them at that point.

if (randomNum == 1) {
    dfd.reject();      // '()' calls a function
}
else {
    dfd.resolve();
}

---

Secondly, inside a done handler, this is the Deferred object. If you want to pass the div, you can do so by passing it when rejecting/resolving: http://jsfiddle.net/PrmQR/1/.

function boxAnimation() {
    var dfd = $.Deferred();
    var randomNum = Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);
    $('div').fadeIn('slow', function () {
        if (randomNum == 1) {
            dfd.reject(this);    // pass div
        }
        else {
            dfd.resolve(this);
        }
    });            
    return dfd.promise();
}

$(function () {
    boxAnimation().done(
        function (x) { $(x).animate({ 'margin-top': 50 }); },     // x is the div
        function (x) { $(x).animate({ 'margin-left': 150 }); },
        function (x) { $(x).animate({ 'margin-top': 250 }); },
        function (x) { $(x).animate({ 'margin-left': 350 }); }
    ).fail(function () { alert('failed'); });
});