How to delay the execution of a JavaScript function

In this article, we will discuss How to delay the execution of a JavaScript function. You may ask why we should delay the execution function so delaying a function is useful in various cases. Timing plays a crucial role in our application’s functionality and use experience.

Some common use cases for delaying an execution function are Asynchronous Operations, Event Handling, Error Handling, Animations, etc..

Let’s see how we can achieve a delay in the execution function.

Delay the execution of a JavaScript function.

JavaScript provides an inbuild function which is setTimeout. setTimeout is a JavaScript function that allows you to execute a specific function after some amount of time. It is used to schedule tasks to run after a certain period.

Let’s understand with a simple Example:-

// Function which we want to delay
function runAfterFewSeconds() {
    console.log("Function is running after 5 seconds");
}

setTimeout(runAfterFewSeconds, 5000);

• In the above example code we have a function called runAfterFewSeconds and using the setTimeout function we will delay our runAfterFewSeconds function.
• setTimeout takes two parameters first one is function and the second one is time(in milliseconds).
• As we have given delay time as 5000 milliseconds i.e. 5 seconds the function will run after 5 seconds and we will get out output.
• setTimeout is widely used for scenarios where timing is critical, like delaying animations or handling network requests.
• It’s essential for improving user experience by synchronizing actions and managing asynchronous operations effectively in JavaScript applications

Output:-
Function is running after 5 seconds