Debouncing vs Throttling in React

Debouncing vs Throttling in React

Both debouncing and throttling are techniques to control the rate at which a function is executed, often used to improve performance when dealing with events like resizing, scrolling, or typing. Here's a simple explanation:

---

1. Debouncing

Definition: Executes a function after a specified delay from the last time it was invoked. If the event keeps firing, the timer resets.

Use Case: When you want the function to run only once after the user stops triggering the event.
Example: API call after the user stops typing in a search box.

Code Example (Debouncing in React)

import React, { useState } from "react";

function debounce(func, delay) {
let timer;
return (...args) => {
clearTimeout(timer); // Clear the previous timer
timer = setTimeout(() => func(...args), delay); // Set a new timer
};
}

const App = () => {
const [value, setValue] = useState("");

const handleChange = debounce((e) => {
console.log("API Call for:", e.target.value);
}, 1000);

return (
type="text"
onChange={(e) => {
setValue(e.target.value);
handleChange(e);
}}
value={value}
placeholder="Type something..."
/>
);
};

export default App;

Behavior: The function (handleChange) executes only after the user stops typing for 1 second.

---

1. Throttling

Definition: Executes a function at most once in a specified time interval, even if the event keeps firing.

Use Case: When you want the function to run at a consistent interval during frequent events.
Example: Logging the position of the page while scrolling.

Code Example (Throttling in React)

import React, { useEffect } from "react";

function throttle(func, limit) {
let lastFunc;
let lastTime;
return (...args) => {
const now = Date.now();
if (!lastTime || now - lastTime >= limit) {
func(...args);
lastTime = now;
} else {
clearTimeout(lastFunc);
lastFunc = setTimeout(() => {
if (Date.now() - lastTime >= limit) {
func(...args);
lastTime = Date.now();
}
}, limit - (now - lastTime));
}
};
}

const App = () => {
const handleScroll = throttle(() => {
console.log("Scroll event logged:", window.scrollY);
}, 1000);

useEffect(() => {
window.addEventListener("scroll", handleScroll);
return () => window.removeEventListener("scroll", handleScroll);
}, []);

return

Scroll down the page;
};

export default App;

Behavior: The handleScroll function logs the scroll position at most once every second, even if the scroll event fires continuously.

---