How to properly abort a node.js promise chain using Q?

Question

How to properly abort a node.js promise chain using Q?

I'm using the Q module for Node.js in attempts to avoid the "pyramid of doom" in scenarios where I have many steps. For example:

function doTask(task, callback)
{
    Q.ncall(task.step1, task)
    .then(function(result1){
        return Q.ncall(task.step2, task);
    })
    .then(function(result2){
        return Q.ncall(task.step3, task);
    })
    .fail(callback).end();
}

Essentially this seems to work; if an error is thrown by any of the task steps, it is passed to the callback (though I would be welcome to improvements, as I am new to node.js promises). However, I have a problem when I need to abort the task-chain early. For example, if result1 is successfully returned I might want to call the callback early and abort the rest, but my attempts to do so are failing...

function doTask(task, callback)
{
    Q.ncall(task.step1, task)
    .then(function(result1){
        if(result1)
        {// the rest of the task chain is unnecessary 
            console.log('aborting!');
            callback(null, result1);
            return null;
        }
        return Q.ncall(task.step2, task);
    })
    .then(function(result2){
        console.log('doing step 3...');
        return Q.ncall(task.step3, task);
    })
    .fail(callback).end();
}

In this example, I see both "aborting!" and "doing step 3..." printed.

I'm sure I'm merely misunderstanding some basic principles here, so would appreciate any help. Thanks!

node.js
promise
q

Answer 1

This is a case where you will need to branch, which does mean either nesting or creating a subroutine.

function doTask(task, callback) {
    return Q.ncall(task.step1, task)
    .then(function(result1) {
        if (result1) return result1;
        return Q.ncall(task.step2, task)
        .then(function(result2) {
            return Q.ncall(task.step3, task);
        })
    })
    .nodeify(callback)
}

Or

function doTask(task, callback) {
    return Q.ncall(task.step1, task)
    .then(function(result1) {
        if (result1) {
            return result1;
        } else {
            return continueTasks(task);
        }
    })
    .nodeify(callback)
}

function continueTasks(task) {
    return Q.ncall(task.step2, task)
    .then(function(result2) {
        return Q.ncall(task.step3, task);
    })
}

Answer 2

Any errors that are thrown within the promise chain will cause the entire stack to be aborted early and control is given to the error-back path. (in this case, the fail() handler) When you detect a certain state which causes you to want to abort the promise chain, then just throw a very specific error, which you trap in the error-back and ignore (if you so choose)

function doTask(task, callback)
{
    Q.ncall(task.step1, task)
    .then(function(result1){
        if(result1 == 'some failure state I want to cause abortion')
        {// the rest of the task chain is unnecessary 
            console.log('aborting!');
            throw new Error('abort promise chain');
            return null;
        }
        return Q.ncall(task.step2, task);
    })
    .then(function(result2){
        console.log('doing step 3...');
        return Q.ncall(task.step3, task);
    })
    .fail(function(err) {
        if (err.message === 'abort promise chain') {
            // just swallow error because chain was intentionally aborted
        }
        else {
            // else let the error bubble up because it's coming from somewhere else
            throw err;
        } 
    })
    .end();
}