This podcast episode discusses the observer pattern in web development, its applications in games, downsides of having too many observers, and different types of observers in JavaScript. It also touches on the desire for an API that combines observables, promises, and streams.
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Quick takeaways
The observer pattern allows different parts of a system to communicate and react to events without being tightly coupled.
JavaScript features like Intersection Observer, Mutation Observer, and Performance Observer demonstrate the practical implementation of the observer pattern in monitoring changes and events in applications.
Deep dives
The Observer Pattern in Programming
The podcast discusses the observer pattern, a design pattern in computer programming. The observer pattern is widely used in various programming contexts, including game development and front-end frameworks. It allows different parts of a system to communicate and react to events without being tightly coupled. The observer pattern consists of two key components: the observer, which is notified when an event occurs, and the subject, which triggers the event and maintains a list of observers.
Examples of Observers in JavaScript
The podcast mentions several examples of observers in JavaScript, such as the Intersection Observer, Mutation Observer, and Performance Observer. These observer-like features allow developers to monitor changes in elements, performance measurements, and resize events. They demonstrate how the observer pattern is used in real-world JavaScript applications, decoupling different parts of the code and enabling more flexible event handling.
Connection to Event Listeners and Signals
The podcast highlights the connection between event listeners and the observer pattern. Event listeners, commonly used in JavaScript, are a practical example of the observer pattern, where a subject (e.g., a DOM element) triggers events, and the observer (e.g., a callback function) is notified. The podcast also mentions the growing importance of signals, which implement event-driven state management in applications. The observer pattern plays a significant role in handling events and managing state in JavaScript applications.
In this episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott give a high level overview of the observer pattern, what is the observer, what are downsides to too many observers, and more.