Restructuring Standard Functions

Hamsters.js makes use of parameter based execution, the params object is a main component of using the library. Remember behind the scenes thread communication takes place using a message passing interface (MPI), we must send everything we want accessible within the context of a thread.

Using an example of a simple loop, let's walk through making this function use Hamsters

              
                <!-- Uses main JavaScript thread --!>
                function() {
                  var array = [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9];
                  var results = new Array(array.length);
                  array.forEach(function(item) {
                    results.push((item * 120)/10);
                  });
                  console.log(results);
                }
              
            

Now we can put this task onto its own thread like so

              
                <!-- Does not use main javascript thread --!>
                <!-- Uses one hamster thread --!>
                <!-- No need to aggregate, data is never split --!>
                function() {
                  var params = {
                    array:[0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9],
                    threads: 1
                  };
                  hamsters.run(params, function() {
                    var arr = params.array;
                    arr.forEach(function(item) {
                     rtn.data.push((item * 120)/10);
                    });
                  }, function(results) {
                    console.log(results);
                  });
                }
              
            

Alternatively we can split this task among 2 threads for parallel execution like so

              
                <!-- Does not use main JavaScript thread --!>
                <!-- Uses two hamster threads --!>
                <!-- Aggregates our individual thread results into one final output --!>
                function() {
                  var params = {
                    array: [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9],
                    threads: 2
                  };
                  hamsters.run(params, function() {
                    var arr = params.array;
                    arr.forEach(function(item) {
                      rtn.data.push((item * 120)/10);
                    });
                  }, function(results) {
                    console.log(results);
                  });
                }
              
            

We can even define a function to split across all available threads like so

              
                <!-- Does not use main JavaScript thread --!>
                <!-- Uses all available hamster threads --!>
                <!-- Aggregates our individual thread results into one final output --!>
                function() {
                  var params = {
                    array: [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9],
                    threads: hamsters.maxThreads
                  };
                  hamsters.run(params, function() {
                    var arr = params.array;
                    arr.forEach(function(item) {
                      rtn.data.push((item * 120)/10);
                    });
                  }, function(results) {
                    console.log(results);
                  });
                }