Check If a Value Is Async Iterable in JavaScript or Node.js

JavaScript supports for await...of loops to iterate over async and sync iterables. The async iterator protocol has a similar interface as the synchronous iterator protocol. The difference is that the returned value from an async iterable is wrapped in a promise.

This tutorial shows you how to determine whether an object implements the async iterable protocols. We’re using JavaScript’s Symbol.asyncIterator for that check. Read on to learn more!

Node.js Series Overview

  1. String Replace All Appearances
  2. Remove All Whitespace From a String in JavaScript
  3. Generate a Random ID or String in Node.js or JavaScript
  4. Remove Extra Spaces From a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  5. Remove Numbers From a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  6. Get the Part Before a Character in a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  7. Get the Part After a Character in a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  8. How to Check if a Value is a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  9. Check If a String Includes All Strings in JavaScript/Node.js/TypeScript
  10. Check if a Value is a String in JavaScript and Node.js
  11. Limit and Truncate a String to a Given Length in JavaScript and Node.js
  12. Split a String into a List of Characters in JavaScript and Node.js
  13. How to Generage a UUID in Node.js
  14. Reverse a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  15. Split a String into a List of Lines in JavaScript or Node.js
  16. Split a String into a List of Words in JavaScript or Node.js
  17. Detect if a String is in camelCase Format in Javascript or Node.js
  18. Check If a String Is in Lowercase in JavaScript or Node.js
  19. Check If a String is in Uppercase in JavaScript or Node.js
  20. Get the Part After First Occurrence in a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  21. Get the Part Before First Occurrence in a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  22. Get the Part Before Last Occurrence in a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  23. Get the Part After Last Occurrence in a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  24. How to Count Words in a File
  25. How to Shuffle the Characters of a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  26. Append Characters or Words to a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  27. Check if a String is Empty in JavaScript or Node.js
  28. Ensure a String Ends with a Given Character in JavaScript or Node.js
  29. Left-Trim Characters Off a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  30. Right-Trim Characters Off a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  31. Lowercase the First Character of a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  32. Uppercase the First Character of a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  33. Prepend Characters or Words to a String in JavaScript or Node.js
  34. Check if a String is a Number
  35. Convert a String to Buffer
  36. Prevent Line Breaks in String Template Literals
  37. How to Implement a Custom `toString` Method (Coming soon)
  38. What Is `Symbol.toStringTag` and How to Use It (Coming soon)

Determine Whether a JavaScript Value is Async Iterable

JavaScript specifies async iterable protocols and how you’re walking through each of the provided values. To be async iterable, an object must implement the well-known @@asyncIterator symbol. Instead of hard-code that symbol in your source code, you may use the static constant Symbol.asyncIterator instead.

You can also use Symbol.asyncIterator to check whether a given input value is async iterable. If the implementation for the symbol is a function, it supports the async iterable protocol.

Check for the existence @@asyncIterator function and handle nullish values:

/**
 * Determine whether the given `input` is async iterable.
 *
 * @returns {Boolean}
 */
function isAsyncIterable(input) {  
  if (input == null) {
    return false
  }

  return typeof input[Symbol.asyncIterator] === 'function'
}

That’s it!


Mentioned Resources

Explore the Library

Find interesting tutorials and solutions for your problems.