Using promises to execute ajax synchronously

Question

This is my code where I handle file uploads:

But as I am not using promises it doesn't run in proper sequence! The ajax part of the code runs at the very end when I upload multiple files (I am using krajee bootstrap and this code does the actual file upload!). Here's the code:

$('#uploadNoteImage').on('fileloaded', function (event, file, previewId, index, reader) {
    var url = noTrailingSlash(window.location.href) + '/user/notes';
    console.log("1) Notes upload number: "+index);

    var imgpgno = parseInt(getNotesLength(noteTitle, notesData));
    console.log("2) Got page number of image "+imgpgno);

    var data = {
        "subject": noteTitle,
        "pgno": imgpgno + 1,
        "note": reader.result
    };

    console.log("3) Formed data object:");
    console.log(data);
    $.ajax({
        url: url,
        method: "PUT",
        data: data,
        success: function (data) {
            console.log("4) Successfully uploaded data");
            console.log(data);
            toastr.success('', 'Added!');
            var order = getIndexToDelete(noteTitle, notesData);
            console.log("5) Fetched order number: "+order);
            var id = Math.floor(Math.random() * 1000);
            if (imgpgno == 0) {
                console.log("6)(No notes uploaded yet state) Images before uploading"+images);
                modalImg.src = reader.result;
                notesData[order].data.push({
                    "id": id, "pgno": imgpgno + 1,
                    "note": reader.result
                });
                images = imgpgno + 1;
                console.log("7)(No notes uploaded yet state) Images after uploading: "+images);
                // imgpgno++;

            }
            else if(imgpgno!=0) {
                var newPageNo=imgpgno + 1;
                console.log("6)(1 note uploaded state) Pushing data with pgno: "+newPageNo);
                notesData[order].data.push({
                    "id": id, "pgno": newPageNo,
                    "note": reader.result
                });
                images = imgpgno + 1;
                console.log("7)(1 note uploaded state) Images after uploading: "+images);
            }
        },
        error: function (err) {
            toastr.error('Try again!', 'Something went wrong in uploading note!');
            console.log(err);
        }
    });
});

How I can included promises here so that the code runs in proper sequence? I have outlined the problem here in full detail:Late execution of AJAX code

Answer 1

Simplest way requires one little "setup" -

var uploadInProgress = $.when();

this "primes" the uploadInProgress variable in such a way that the first upload will begin as soon as we want it to

the whole code is not very different to the code you already have:

var uploadInProgress = $.when();
$('#uploadNoteImage').on('fileloaded', function (event, file, previewId, index, reader) {
    // here, we chain the "pending" upload to this one
    uploadInProgress = uploadInProgress.then(function() {
        var url = noTrailingSlash(window.location.href) + '/user/notes';
        console.log("1) Notes upload number: "+index);

        var imgpgno = parseInt(getNotesLength(noteTitle, notesData));
        console.log("2) Got page number of image "+imgpgno);

        var data = {
            "subject": noteTitle,
            "pgno": imgpgno + 1,
            "note": reader.result
        };

        console.log("3) Formed data object:");
        console.log(data);
        return $.ajax({
            url: url,
            method: "PUT",
            data: data
        // since we are using Promise pattern, use .then for success, and .catch for error conditions
        }).then(function (data) {
            console.log("4) Successfully uploaded data");
            console.log(data);
            toastr.success('', 'Added!');
            var order = getIndexToDelete(noteTitle, notesData);
            console.log("5) Fetched order number: "+order);
            var id = Math.floor(Math.random() * 1000);
            if (imgpgno == 0) {
                console.log("6)(No notes uploaded yet state) Images before uploading"+images);
                modalImg.src = reader.result;
                notesData[order].data.push({
                    "id": id, "pgno": imgpgno + 1,
                    "note": reader.result
                });
                images = imgpgno + 1;
                console.log("7)(No notes uploaded yet state) Images after uploading: "+images);
                // imgpgno++;

            }
            else { // if(imgpgno!=0) { // the check is redundant since when the above if condition is false, this has to be true
                var newPageNo=imgpgno + 1;
                console.log("6)(1 note uploaded state) Pushing data with pgno: "+newPageNo);
                notesData[order].data.push({
                    "id": id, "pgno": newPageNo,
                    "note": reader.result
                });
                images = imgpgno + 1;
                console.log("7)(1 note uploaded state) Images after uploading: "+images);
            }
        }).catch(function (err) {
            // this catch ensures that the next upload will be able to run regardless of this upload's failure
            toastr.error('Try again!', 'Something went wrong in uploading note!');
            console.log(err);
        });
    });
});

Instead of the success:/error: callbacks, use the fact that $.ajax returns a Promise, and use .then/.catch - this makes it easy to chain the upload requests one after the other

Note: make sure the .catch actually handles the error (i.e. doesn't throw one) or the promise chain will break - the code you had in error: is fine as is