cps

A CPS (Continuation Passing Style) library to ease the
event-driven/asynchronized coding style in node.js. There seems to be
enough node.js libs (e.g. async) doing the same thing, why yet
another? This lib is notably different from other libs in
exception handling. Using cps:

* Any "throw" statements in the procedures will be transformed to an
application of the callback onto the error object.
* A "rescue" function is provided, which can be used to catch such
exceptions pass through the callbacks.

This consistently recovers the try/catch functionality in continuation
passing style programming.

Install

``text
npm install cps
`

Terminologies

$3

We call a function of the following form a callback:

`javascript
function(err, res) {
// process the err and res
}
`

A callback is a function that takes two arguments, "err" and "res".
Semantically, a non-null "err" corresponds to a program exception;
while a null "err" corresponds to normal return without any
exceptions.

$3

We call a function of the following form a procedure:

`javascript
function(arg1, arg2, ..., callback) {
// do some work with the arguments and then invoke the callback to continue
}
`

A procedure is a function that takes a callback as the last argument.
Semantically, a procedure does some work with the input arguments and
at some point, call the callback to continue. Note that a call to the
"callback" argument MUST always be a tail call. In particular, the
following is a procedure:

`javascript
function(callback) {
// do some work and then invoke the callback to continue
}
`

API Document

* seq
* pwhile
* peach
* pmap
* pfor
* rescue
* parallel

$3

Sequence a list of procedures. Note that the result of each procedure
is fed into the next procedure in the listed order.

__Example__

`javascript
var concatFile = function(f1, f2, resFile, cb) {
var contentOfA, contentOfB;

cps.seq([
function(_, cb) {
fs.readFile(f1, cb);
},
function(res, cb) {
contentOfA = res;
fs.readFile(f2, cb);
},
function(res, cb) {
contentOfB = res;
fs.writeFile(resFile, contentA + contentB, cb);
}
], cb);
};
`

$3

An asynchronized version of while loop.

__Example__

Consider a world in which arithmatic operations do not exists and must
be accomplished through alien technology. Then the Fibonacci function
needs to be written in the following way:

`javascript
var alienAdd = function(a, b, cb) {
setTimeout(function() {
cb(null, a + b);
}, 0);
};

var asyncFib = function(n, cb) {
if (n < 0) {
throw new Error('fib input error');
}
if (n == 0) {return cb(null, 1);}
if (n == 1) {return cb(null, 1);}

var a = 1,
b = 1,
i = 2;
cps.seq([
function(_, cb) {
cps.pwhile(
function(cb) {
cb(null, i <= n);
},
function(cb) {
cps.seq([
function(_, cb) {
alienAdd(a, b, cb);
},
function(res, cb) {
a = b;
b = res;
alienAdd(i, 1, cb);
},
function(res, cb) {
i = res;
cb();
}
], cb);
},
cb
);
},
function(_, cb) {
cb(null, b);
}
], cb);
};
`

$3

Apply a procedure on an array sequentially.

__Example__

Then in the same "arithmetic-less" world, print out the first 10 Fibonacci numbers.

`javascript
cps.peach(
[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],
function(el, cb) {
cps.seq([
function(_, cb) {
asyncFib(el, cb);
},
function(res, cb) {
console.log(res);
cb();
}
], cb);

},
cb
);
`

$3

Apply a procedure on an array sequentially, and record the results in another array, which is pass to the callback.

__Example__

You can also map it out first and then log the result list.

`javascript
cps.seq([
function(_, cb) {
cps.pmap(
[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],
function(el, cb) {
asyncFib(el, cb);
},
cb
);
},
function(res, cb) {
console.log(res);
cb();
}
], cb);
`

$3

Apply a procedure on a sequence of consecutive indices, starting of 0.

__Example__


`javascript
var sum = 0;
cps.seq([
function(_, cb) {
console.log('here');
cps.pfor(10, function(i, cb) {
setTimeout(function() {
sum += i;
console.log(sum);
cb();
}, 1000);
}, cb);
},
function(_, cb) {
console.log(sum);
cb(null, 'ok');
}
], cb);
`

$3

An asyned version of try/catch. It take two procedures as arguments. If the first one fails, the second is executed to rescue.

__Example__

What if there's some invalid input? Let's catch it without disturbing the overall flow.

`javascript
cps.seq([
function(_, cb) {
cps.pmap(
[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, -1],
function(el, cb) {
cps.rescue({
'try': function(cb) { // try clause
asyncFib(el, cb);
},
'catch': function(err, cb) { // catch clause
console.log(err);
cb(null, -1);
},
'finally': function(cb) { // finally
console.log("always print this whether it's good or bad.");
cb();
}
}, cb);
},
cb
);
},
function(res, cb) {
console.log(res);
cb();
}
], cb);
`

$3

Parallel a list of procedures. The top level callback is only called
after each parallel procedure finishes, regardless the procedure
succeeds or fails. The callback will never take a non-null error
parameter; the result parameter is an array of the following form:

`js
[
{"status": "ok", "data": res}, /* in case the procedure in the
corresponding position succeeds
with result res
*/
{"status": "error", "error": err} /* in case the procedure in the
corresponding position fails
with error err
*/
// ...
]
`


__Example__

See "thread b" being printed out before "thread a":

`javascript
var parallelTest = function(cb) {
cps.parallel([
function(cb) {
setTimeout(function() {
console.log('3');
cb(new Error('kaz'));
}, 3000);
},
function(cb) {
setTimeout(function() {
console.log('1');
cb(null, 'ok');
}, 2000);
},
function(cb) {
setTimeout(function() {
console.log('2');
cb(new Error('foobar'));
}, 1000);
}
], cb);
};
`

Running this procedure will yield the following output:

`text
2
1
3
[ { status: 'error', error: [Error: kaz] },
{ status: 'ok', data: 'ok' },
{ status: 'error', error: [Error: foobar] } ]
``