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Understanding Javascript – Generator Object

#Javascript Generator Object

The javascriptĀ Generator object is returned by a generator functionĀ and it conforms to both the iterable protocol and the iterator protocol.

#Syntax


function* gen() {
  yield 1;
  yield 2;
  yield 3;
}

var g = gen(); // "Generator { }"

#Methods

Generator.prototype.next()

Returns a value yielded by the yield expression.

Generator.prototype.return()

Returns the given value and finishes the generator.

Generator.prototype.throw()

Throws an error to a generator.

#Example – An Infinite Iterator


function* idMaker() {
  var index = 0;
  while(true)
    yield index++;
}

var gen = idMaker(); // "Generator { }"

console.log(gen.next().value); // 0
console.log(gen.next().value); // 1
console.log(gen.next().value); // 2
// ...

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#Legacy generator objects

Firefox (SpiderMonkey) also implements an earlier version of generators in JavaScript 1.7, where the star (*) in the function declaration was not necessary (you just use the yieldkeyword in the function body). However, legacy generators are deprecated. Do not use them; they are going to be removed (bugĀ 1083482).

Legacy generator methods

Generator.prototype.next()
Returns a value yielded by the yield expression. This corresponds to next() in the ES2015 generator object.
Generator.prototype.close()
Closes the generator, so that when calling next() an StopIteration error will be thrown. This corresponds to the return() method in the ES2015 generator object.
Generator.prototype.send()
Used to send a value to a generator. The value is returned from the yield expression, and returns a value yielded by the next yield expression. send(x) corresponds to next(x) in the ES2015 generator object.
Generator.prototype.throw()
Throws an error to a generator. This corresponds to the throw() method in the ES2015Ā generator object.

Legacy generator example


function fibonacci() {
var a = yield 1;
yield a * 2;
}

var it = fibonacci();
console.log(it); // "Generator { }"
console.log(it.next()); // 1
console.log(it.send(10)); // 20
console.log(it.close()); // undefined
console.log(it.next()); // throws StopIteration (as the generator is now closed)

Source Viva: MDN Web Docs

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