README.md

Random First Name Generator

To practice building a dedicated worker.

https://jasheloper.github.io/random-name-gen/

Notes below for learning purposes.

Main file: main.js

• The worker is established here using the Worker() constructor where the path containing the script is passed.

const worker = new Worker("name-worker.js");

• A click event is set up on the button, which will handle sending a message to the worker.

  • The message sent will be an object containing:

  {command: "generate"}
  

• The functionality for 'generate' will be defined in the worker script via a conditional statement (more on that below).

Dedicated worker file: name-worker.js

• This is where the program's functionality lives (generating a random name).

• The worker will listen for the message from the main script.

• Once the message is received, a conditional is set up to check for command = generate in the message data, and if this is the case, the worker script will run and the result (the name) is sent back to the main file via a message.

addEventListener("message", (message) => {
  if(message.data.command === "generate") {
    const generatedName = nameGen(firstNames);
     postMessage(generatedName);
  }
});

Finally

main.js will listen for the message sent back from the worker and this event will handle outputting the result in the browser.

output.textContent = message.data;

With this approach, the files are sending data back and forth using messages without having direct access to each other's variables.

extra logging added to the code for learning purposes