Why is crypto.subtle.digest designed to return a promise?

Every other system I’ve ever worked with has the signature hash(bytes) => bytes, yet whatever committee designed the Subtle Crypto API decided that the browser version should return a promise. Why? I’ve looked around but I’ve never found any discussion on the motivation behind that.

  • @vzq
    9•25 days ago

    It’s standard for operations that take a while and can be performed asynchronously.

    What’s your problem with it?

    • EthanOPEnglish
      3•24 days ago

      async/await infecting all of my code, being unable to create a get myField() method that involves a hash calculation. It may be standard to do heavy lifting concurrently, but async hash functions are certainly not standard in any of the languages I’ve used (which is quite a few).

      • @vzq
        2•24 days ago

        From browsing your other comments on this thread I understand that you are in a context where you can’t await, that you expect the invocation to take very little time, and that the library offers no complementary sync interface.

        As far was I know you’re stuck in this case. I consider the stubborn refusal to add “resolve this promise synchronously right now” a major flaw in js.

        • macniel
          7•24 days ago

          Given the nature of JS running only on a single thread. Promises/asynchronity is the only way to keep the browser from locking up.

          Thus insisting on any other way is a major flaw in the developer not the language.

          • @vzq
            5•24 days ago

            Thus insisting on any other way is a major flaw in the developer not the language.

            I mean, I understand the idea, but this is a pretty asshole way to frame it. I don’t think I deserve that, and certainly OP doesn’t deserve that.

          • John
            2•24 days ago

            @DmMacniel @vzq

            > Given the nature of JS running only on a single thread.

            No no, I think you found the language flaw.