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wtf is make-async-function?

ljharb/make-async-function — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-17 · repo last pushed 2025-12-30

4JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5QuietSetup · easy

TL;DR

A tiny utility that detects whether your JavaScript environment supports async functions, returning a working one or undefined.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((make-async-function))
    What it does
      Detects async function support
      Returns working function or undefined
      Compatibility check
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      Node.js
    Use cases
      Cross-platform libraries
      Fallback to promises
      Feature detection
    Audience
      Library authors
    Features
      Single check function
      .list method for multiple checks

Code map

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Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Detect async function support before using async syntax in a cross-platform library.

REASON 2

Fall back to promises or callbacks on older runtimes that lack async support.

REASON 3

Use .list() to get a collection of async functions for testing across environments.

What's in the stack?

JavaScriptNode.js

How it stacks up

ljharb/make-async-functionarata-ae/purupurupngtubercarrycooldude/nova-ide
Stars444
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2025-12-30
MaintenanceQuiet
Setup difficultyeasymoderate
Complexity1/53/5
Audiencedevelopergeneralvibe coder

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Wtf does this do

This is a tiny utility that checks whether your JavaScript environment supports async functions, a modern feature for writing cleaner asynchronous code. If it does, the function returns an actual async function you can use, if not, it returns undefined. Think of it as a compatibility detector. Older JavaScript runtimes (like very old Node.js versions or older browsers) don't understand async syntax. This library lets you safely test whether the environment you're running in has this capability. You call the function, and it either gives you back a working async function or tells you the feature isn't available. The library offers two ways to check: you can call it once to get a single async function, or use its .list() method to get a collection of them. This is useful if you're writing code that needs to work across different JavaScript environments and want to gracefully handle older platforms that don't have async support. Who would use this? Developers building libraries or tools that need to work on many different platforms, from modern Node.js servers to older browsers or edge runtimes, would use it to detect whether they can safely use async syntax, or need to fall back to older patterns like promises or callbacks. It's a small but practical check for compatibility-conscious JavaScript projects.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to use make-async-function to check if my runtime supports async functions.
Prompt 2
Explain how to fall back to promises when async functions aren't supported, using this library.
Prompt 3
Write example code using the .list() method from make-async-function.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is make-async-function?

A tiny utility that detects whether your JavaScript environment supports async functions, returning a working one or undefined.

What language is make-async-function written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, Node.js.

Is make-async-function actively maintained?

Quiet — no commits in 6-12 months (last push 2025-12-30).

How hard is make-async-function to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is make-async-function for?

Mainly developer.

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