Semaphore-like queue in javascript?

Question

I have a variable can_run, that can be either 1 or 0, and then I have a queue of functions, that should be run as soon as the variable is switched from 0<

Answer 1

Here is a nice Queue class you can use without the use of timeouts:

var Queue = (function () {

    Queue.prototype.autorun = true;
    Queue.prototype.running = false;
    Queue.prototype.queue = [];

    function Queue(autorun) {
        if (typeof autorun !== "undefined") {
            this.autorun = autorun;
        }
        this.queue = []; //initialize the queue
    };

    Queue.prototype.add = function (callback) {
        var _this = this;
        //add callback to the queue
        this.queue.push(function () {
            var finished = callback();
            if (typeof finished === "undefined" || finished) {
                //  if callback returns `false`, then you have to 
                //  call `next` somewhere in the callback
                _this.dequeue();
            }
        });

        if (this.autorun && !this.running) {
            // if nothing is running, then start the engines!
            this.dequeue();
        }

        return this; // for chaining fun!
    };

    Queue.prototype.dequeue = function () {
        this.running = false;
        //get the first element off the queue
        var shift = this.queue.shift();
        if (shift) {
            this.running = true;
            shift();
        }
        return shift;
    };

    Queue.prototype.next = Queue.prototype.dequeue;

    return Queue;

})();

It can be used like so:

// passing false into the constructor makes it so 
// the queue does not start till we tell it to
var q = new Queue(false).add(function () {
    //start running something
}).add(function () {
    //start running something 2
}).add(function () {
    //start running something 3
});

setTimeout(function () {
    // start the queue
    q.next();
}, 2000);

Fiddle Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/maniator/dUVGX/

---

Updated to use es6 and new es6 Promises:

class Queue {  
  constructor(autorun = true, queue = []) {
    this.running = false;
    this.autorun = autorun;
    this.queue = queue;
  }

  add(cb) {
    this.queue.push((value) => {
        const finished = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        const callbackResponse = cb(value);

        if (callbackResponse !== false) {
            resolve(callbackResponse);
        } else {
            reject(callbackResponse);
        }
      });

      finished.then(this.dequeue.bind(this), (() => {}));
    });

    if (this.autorun && !this.running) {
        this.dequeue();
    }

    return this;
  }

  dequeue(value) {
    this.running = this.queue.shift();

    if (this.running) {
        this.running(value);
    }

    return this.running;
  }

  get next() {
    return this.dequeue;
  }
}

It can be used in the same way:

const q = new Queue(false).add(() => {
    console.log('this is a test');

    return {'banana': 42};
}).add((obj) => {
    console.log('test 2', obj);

    return obj.banana;
}).add((number) => {
    console.log('THIS IS A NUMBER', number)
});

// start the sequence
setTimeout(() => q.next(), 2000);

Although now this time if the values passed are a promise etc or a value, it gets passed to the next function automatically.

Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/maniator/toefqpsc/