What is a Callback Function?
The above-linked Wikipedia article defines it nicely:
A reference to executable code, or a piece of executable code, that is passed as an argument to other code.
Here’s a simple example that’s probably quite familiar to everyone, taken from jQuery:
$('#element').fadeIn('slow', function() {
// callback function
});
This is a call to jQuery’s fadeIn() method. This method accepts two arguments: The speed of the fade-in and an optional callback function. In that function you can put whatever you want.
When the fadeIn()
method is completed, then the callback function (if present) will be executed. So, depending on the speed chosen, there could be a noticeable delay before the callback function code is executed.
How to Write a Callback Function
If you’re writing your own functions or methods, then you might come across a need for a callback function. Here’s a very simple example of a custom callback function:
function mySandwich(param1, param2, callback) {
alert('Started eating my sandwich.\n\nIt has: ' + param1 + ', ' + param2);
callback();
}
mySandwich('ham', 'cheese', function() {
alert('Finished eating my sandwich.');
});
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