slave

seamlessly create long-running child processes

Usage no npm install needed!

<script type="module">
  import slave from 'https://cdn.skypack.dev/slave';
</script>

README

slave

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Slave is a tiny utility to allow you to create long-running slave processes for your node process and use these functions as promises. Create modules that run in separate processes without anyone even knowing!

Walkthrough

Wrap your function in a slave. The function must either:

  • Be a co-based generator function
  • A function that returns a promise
  • A synchronous function

Now, create a separate my-module/slave.js file:

var slave = require('slave/slave');
var fn = require('./index.js'); // my main module
slave(fn); // it's wrapped!

Now you can create a my-module/master.js file, which runs slave.js:

var master = require('slave/master');
module.exports = master(require.resolve('./slave.js'))

Now users have two ways to use this module. Directly:

var fn = require('my-module');

fn(1, 2).then(function (val) {

});

Using child processes:

var fn = require('my-module/master');

fn(1, 2).then(function (val) {

});

API

var fn = slave.master(slavepath, [options])

Create a function from a slavepath, which exports a slave.slave() function.

Options are:

  • forks=0 - number of child processes to initiate immediately

fn will always return a promise, even if the wrapped function is synchronous.

fn.fork()

Create a new child process.

slave.slave(fn)

Hooks a function into process to allow the parent process to listen.