How to Deal With the Unexpected Reserved Word 'await' in JavaScript

As a JavaScript developer, you may have come across the unexpected reserved word 'await' and have been unsure of how to deal with it. This document will provide you with the necessary information to understand what ‘await’ is, and how it works to give you a step-by-step solution to get around it if it is causing issues.

What is 'await'?

The await keyword is syntactic sugar in JavaScript that works in conjunction with promises and other asynchronous code. The await keyword can simplify asynchronous code and make it appear to be synchronous so that it is cleaner and easier to read. It can be used only in an async function, and it causes the function to pause until the promise resolves.

Why is 'await' Causing Issues?

The ‘await’ keyword is a reserved word in JavaScript, and because of this, it can cause issues when it is used in unexpected contexts. Some environments may not support the keyword, and it can interfere with minification and obfuscation of code. In addition, unexpected use of the ‘await’ keyword can cause issues for legacy code that is expecting the traditional callback style of code.

How to Resolve Issues Using 'await'

If you are having issues using the ‘await’ keyword in unexpected contexts, there are a few ways you can solve the issue.

Use callbacks – You can use callbacks or promises instead of the ‘await’ keyword. This may not be as easy to read, but it can help alleviate any issues caused by the keyword.

Update your environment – If your environment doesn’t support the ‘await’ keyword, you can update it to resolve issues with the keyword.

Rename the keyword – You can also rename the keyword in the environment that is not supporting it. This can help get around any issues caused by the keyword.

FAQ

Q: What is the ‘await’ keyword?
A: The await keyword is a syntactic sugar in JavaScript that works in conjunction with promises and other asynchronous code. It can be used only in an async function and it causes the function to pause until the promise resolves.

Q: Why is ‘await’ causing issues?
A: The ‘await’ keyword is a reserved word in JavaScript, and because of this, it can cause issues when it is used in unexpected contexts. Some environments may not support the keyword, and it can interfere with minification and obfuscation of code. In addition, unexpected use of the ‘await’ keyword can cause issues for legacy code that is expecting the traditional callback style of code.

Q: How can I resolve issues with ‘await’?
A: You can use callbacks or promises instead of the ‘await’ keyword. You can also update your environment or rename the keyword to get around any issues caused by the keyword.

Sources

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