Ever wondered how to effectively manage JavaScript event handlers? Debouncing and throttling are two essential techniques to control an Event Listener's response rate. In this article, we'll explore these concepts through a relatable analogy.
Imagine ordering food at a restaurant: you pick menu items, and waiters respond accordingly. Three types of waiters exist: the Normal Waiter (no delay), Debounced Waiter (waits for a certain time before responding), and Throttled Waiter (responds at regular intervals).
Debouncing is used when you want to make an API call only if the user has stopped typing or clicking for a specific amount of time. This prevents unnecessary requests. Throttling, on the other hand, makes an API call at regular intervals, even while the user is still interacting with your application.
The author provides a simple CodePen example to illustrate these concepts and encourages readers to visualize them rather than just memorizing code-level explanations.