Orchestrating asynchronous function calls in JavaScript often leads to callback hell, but there is a reliable way to avoid this painful state of affairs. With this concise and simple guide, you’ll learn how to use jQuery deferreds and promises, an elegant approach for managing asynchronous calls in both client and server applications.

This book contains 18 examples that use deferreds to solve progressively challenging real-world programming problems, along with 75 stimulating puzzles (and their solutions) that will help you understand how and when to use deferreds. You’ll learn new tricks in a fun way, and become immersed in the practice of event-based programming.

Understand the logic behind creating deferreds and returning promises

Get a structured explanation of jQuery’s deferred API

Delve into the dynamics of using deferreds

Explore a broad collection of useful deferred recipes developed by the authors

Gain hands-on experience by solving challenges that accompany each recipe

Go deeper into deferreds: encounter novel abstractions and mind-bending use cases

Terry Jones is currently CTO of Fluidinfo, which he founded in 2007. He also works on virus discovery in the Zoology department at the University of Cambridge. Before founding Fluidinfo, he was a postdoc in Zoology at Cambridge (2004-07) where he spent time helping the WHO design part of the human influenza vaccine. He was a part-time professor in CS at the Universitat de Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona (2005-06), CTO of Eatoni Ergonomics in New York (2000-04), a postdoc in Cognitive Science at UCSD (1998-99), CEO of Teclata in Barcelona (1996-98), Chief Knowledge Officer at Chiliad (1998), a postdoc and graduate fellow at the Santa Fe Institute (1992-96), and taught undergrad CS at Earlham College (1990-91). He has a Ph.D. in CS from the University of New Mexico, an M.Math from the University of Waterloo, and a B.Sc. in CS from Sydney University.

Nicholas is a classically trained musician, philosophy graduate, teacher, writer and software developer. He's just like this biography: concise, honest and full of useful information.