What is next-tick?
The next-tick npm package is designed to defer the execution of a function until the next tick of the event loop. This can be particularly useful for breaking up long-running tasks or for ensuring that code execution happens after the current call stack has cleared. It provides a simple and efficient way to schedule tasks to run asynchronously.
What are next-tick's main functionalities?
Scheduling a function to run on the next tick
This feature allows you to schedule a function to be executed as soon as possible in the next tick of the event loop, without waiting for the current call stack to complete. It's useful for deferring execution to ensure non-blocking operations.
const nextTick = require('next-tick');
nextTick(() => {
console.log('This will run on the next tick.');
});
Other packages similar to next-tick
process-nextick-args
This package offers similar functionality to next-tick by allowing functions to be executed on the next tick of the event loop. It extends the capability by ensuring arguments can be passed to the callback function, providing a bit more flexibility compared to next-tick.
immediate
Immediate is another alternative that provides an API to run functions asynchronously as soon as possible, but not within the current call stack. It differs from next-tick by offering broader support for different environments, including browser and Node.js, making it a versatile choice for cross-platform applications.
asap
Asap is designed for queueing tasks and executing them as soon as possible, but after the current call stack has cleared, similar to next-tick. It focuses on performance and minimal overhead, making it suitable for applications that require efficient task scheduling.
next-tick
Environment agnostic nextTick polyfill
To be used in environment agnostic modules that need nextTick functionality.
- When run in Node.js
process.nextTick
is used
- In modern browsers microtask resolution is guaranteed by
MutationObserver
- In other engines
setImmediate
or setTimeout(fn, 0)
is used as fallback.
- If none of the above is supported module resolves to
null
Installation
NPM
In your project path:
$ npm install next-tick
Browser
You can easily bundle next-tick
for browser with any CJS bundler, e.g. modules-webmake
Tests 
$ npm test