Functions are asynchronous and cannot return a value

[fancytboy]

Hi, i've been using your api and i noticed the functions are asynchronous and cannot return a value. They can only be displayed in the console log. e.g

paystack.transaction.initialize({ reference: "123445566" , amount: 10000, email: "email@gmail.com" } , function(error,body){ if(!error){ console.log(body) }else{ console.log(error) } })

the body cannot be returned so as to extract the redirect URL.

[subomi]

That's javascript programming for you mate.

What exactly do you want to do?

[fancytboy]

Save the result of the function for later use. e.g when i Initialize a transaction, i need to extract the payment URL and send to the customer so he/she can make payments.

[verygreenboi]

@fancytboy You should learn to use promises. Look at a library like Q. You could build your request like this:

var q = require('q');

function initTransaction(ref, amnt, email) {
  var defer = q.defer();
  paystack.transaction.initialize({
    reference: ref,
    amount: amnt,
    email: email
  }, (error, body) =>{
    if (error) {
      defer.reject(error);
    } else {
      defer.resolve(body);
    }
  });
  return defer.promise;
}

Now you can call that initTransaction() function anywhere. E.g:

 initTransaction("123445566", 10000, "email@gmail.com").then((body) =>{
  // Do whatever you'd normally do with a successfully initiated transaction; 
  console.log(body);
}).catch((error) => {
  // Handle error
  console.log(error);
});

This issue is more appropriate as a stackoverflow question by the way.

[fancytboy]

Actually, i had already resolved the issue using callbacks. I was just being lazy since I have to carry out about 5 different validations (all Asynchronous) before generating a payment URL. That could really be rough and tedious. Just thought there could be a better way. I just have to embrace the Asynchronous nature of Javascript. Thanks anyways. @verygreenboi

[subomi]

@fancytboy glad your issue is solved. Its more a javascript thing. Thanks