How to Delay a Function Call in JavaScript ?

Delaying a JavaScript function call involves executing a function after a certain amount of time has passed. This is commonly used in scenarios where you want to postpone the execution of a function, such as in animations, event handling, or asynchronous operations.

Below are the methods to delay a JavaScript function call:

Using setTimeout()

The setTimeout() method schedules a function to be executed after a specified delay in milliseconds.

Syntax:

setTimeout(function, delay, arg1, arg2, ...);

Example: Printing the output after 2 seconds using setTimeout().

JavaScript

setTimeout(() => {
    console.log('Function called after 2000 milliseconds');
}, 2000);

Output:

Output

setInterval()

Similar to setTimeout(), setInterval() repeatedly calls a function with a fixed time delay between each call.

Syntax:

setInterval(function, delay, arg1, arg2, ...);

Example: Printing the each output after interval of 1 second using setTimeout().

JavaScript

let count = 0;
const intervalID = setInterval(() => {
    console.log('Function called every 1000 milliseconds');
    count++;
    if (count === 3) {
        clearInterval(intervalID);
    }
}, 1000);

Output:

Output

Promises with setTimeout()

We can create a Promise and resolve it after a certain delay using setTimeout(). This allows for better handling of asynchronous operations.

Syntax:

const delayedFunction = (delay) => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));

Example: Printing the output at a delay of 3 seconds using Promises with setTimeout().

JavaScript

const delayedFunction = (delay) => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(() => {
    console.log('Function called after ' + delay + ' milliseconds');
    resolve();
}, delay));

delayedFunction(3000);

Output:

Output

Async/Await with setTimeout()

Using async/await syntax with setTimeout() allows for writing asynchronous code in a synchronous-like manner, improving code readability and maintainability.

Syntax:

async function delayedFunction(delay) {
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
    // Your code to be executed after delay
}

Example: Printing the output at a delay of 4 seconds using Promises with setTimeout().

JavaScript

async function delayedFunction(delay) {
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
    console.log('Function called after ' + delay + ' milliseconds');
}

delayedFunction(4000);

Output:

delayed function call using async/await along with setTimeout function