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JavaScript JavaScript and the DOM (Retiring) Responding to User Interaction Delaying Execution with setTimeout()

Kristoffer A-L
Kristoffer A-L
5,863 Points
Posted by Kristoffer A-L
Kristoffer A-L
5,863 Points

Not able to delay function

Hi! I'm building a Magic Eight Ball with a combination of JavaScript, CSS and HTML. I would like to add a delay effect of the answer finally being revealed, but I can't seem to get it right. My instinct was to add window.setTimeout(message(), 3000); to the message()-function, but nothing happens. I'd appreciate the help!

Here is my JS code:

const myButton = document.getElementById('myButton');

const myInput = document.getElementById('myInput');

const myText = document.getElementById('question');

const myAnswer = document.getElementById('answer')


myButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
    message();
  }
);

function message() => {

  myText.textContent = 'Your question is  ' + myInput.value;
  var message = 'Magic Eight Ball says: ';
  var rNum = Math.floor(Math.random() * 10);

  if (rNum === 0) {
    myAnswer.textContent = message += 'Most certainly.'
};     ...................

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points

Passing a callback is one of the few times that you will use a function name without putting parentheses after it. Otherwise it's called immediately instead of after the time elapses. So you'd put this in your event listener function:

        window.setTimeout(message, 3000);

There's also some syntax issues:

  • the function definition for "message" shouldn't have the "=>" symbol
  • when concatenating the answer for assignment, use "+" instead of "+="
  • the function shouldn't concatenate itself with a string, what did you intend to join to the answer?
Kristoffer A-L
Kristoffer A-L
5,863 Points
Kristoffer A-L
Kristoffer A-L
5,863 Points

Thank you Steven Parker! I realized after some time that I had made a copy of my working file and forgot to link the correct JavaScript file, so no wonder my experiments had little effect... Anyway, I did some editing and the code is working perfectly fine now. Again, thanks!

const myButton = document.getElementById('myButton');
const myInput = document.getElementById('myInput');
const myText = document.getElementById('question');
const myAnswer = document.getElementById('answer')


myButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
  window.setTimeout(reveal, 2000);
});

function reveal() {
myText.textContent = 'Your question is: ' + myInput.value;
var message = 'The Magic Eight Ball says: ';
var rNum = Math.floor(Math.random() * 10);

  if (rNum === 0) {
    myAnswer.textContent = message + 'Most certainly.';
  } else if (rNum === 1) { ....................................