How do you make javascript code execute *in order*

Question

Okay, so I appreciate that Javascript is not C# or PHP, but I keep coming back to an issue in Javascript - not with JS itself but my use of it.

I have a function:

Answer 1

As others have pointed out, you don't want to do a synchronous operation. Embrace Async, that's what the A in AJAX stands for.

I would just like to mention an excellent analogy on sync v/s async. You can read the entire post on the GWT forum, I am just including the relevant analogies.

Imagine if you will ...

You are sitting on the couch watching TV, and knowing that you are out of beer, you ask your spouse to please run down to the liquor store and fetch you some. As soon as you see your spouse walk out the front door, you get up off the couch and trundle into the kitchen and open the fridge. To your surprise, there is no beer!

Well of course there is no beer, your spouse is still on the trip to the liquor store. You've gotta wait until [s]he returns before you can expect to have a beer.

But, you say you want it synchronous? Imagine again ...

... spouse walks out the door ... now, the entire world around you stops, you don't get to breath, answer the door, or finish watching your show while [s]he runs across town to fetch your beer. You just get to sit there not moving a muscle, and turning blue until you lose consciousness ... waking up some indefinite time later surrounded by EMTs and a spouse saying oh, hey, I got your beer.

That's exactly what happens when you insist on doing a synchronous server call.