# countByAsync > Group values according to an indicator function and return group counts.
## Usage ```javascript var countByAsync = require( '@stdlib/utils/async/count-by' ); ``` #### countByAsync( collection, \[options,] indicator, done ) Groups values according to an `indicator` function, which specifies which group an element in the input `collection` belongs to, and returns group counts. ```javascript function indicator( value, next ) { setTimeout( onTimeout, value ); function onTimeout() { console.log( value ); next( null, (value > 2000) ); } } function done( error, result ) { if ( error ) { throw error; } console.log( result ); } var arr = [ 3000, 2500, 1000 ]; countByAsync( arr, indicator, done ); /* => 1000 2500 3000 { 'true': 2, 'false': 1 } */ ``` The function accepts the following `options`: - `limit`: the maximum number of pending invocations at any one time. Default: `infinity`. - `series`: `boolean` indicating whether to sequentially invoke the `indicator` function for each `collection` element. If `true`, the function sets `options.limit=1`. Default: `false`. - `thisArg`: the execution context for `indicator`. By default, all elements are processed concurrently, which means that the function does **not** guarantee completion order. To process each `collection` element sequentially, set the `series` option to `true`. ```javascript function indicator( value, next ) { setTimeout( onTimeout, value ); function onTimeout() { console.log( value ); next( null, (value > 2000) ); } } function done( error, result ) { if ( error ) { throw error; } console.log( result ); } var arr = [ 3000, 2500, 1000 ]; var opts = { 'series': true }; countByAsync( arr, opts, indicator, done ); /* => 3000 2500 1000 { 'true': 2, 'false': 1 } */ ``` To limit the maximum number of pending function invocations, set the `limit` option. ```javascript function indicator( value, next ) { setTimeout( onTimeout, value ); function onTimeout() { console.log( value ); next( null, (value > 2000) ); } } function done( error, result ) { if ( error ) { throw error; } console.log( result ); } var arr = [ 3000, 2500, 1000 ]; var opts = { 'limit': 2 }; countByAsync( arr, opts, indicator, done ); /* => 2500 3000 1000 { 'true': 2, 'false': 1 } */ ``` To set the execution context of the `indicator` function, set the `thisArg` option. ```javascript function indicator( value, next ) { this.count += 1; setTimeout( onTimeout, value ); function onTimeout() { next( null, (value > 2000) ); } } var arr = [ 3000, 2500, 1000 ]; var context = { 'count': 0 }; var opts = { 'thisArg': context }; countByAsync( arr, opts, indicator, done ); function done( error, result ) { if ( error ) { throw error; } console.log( result ); // => { 'true': 2, 'false': 1 } console.log( context.count ); // => 3 } ``` When invoked, the `indicator` function is provided a maximum of four arguments: - `value`: collection value. - `index`: collection index. - `collection`: the input `collection`. - `next`: a callback which should be called once the `indicator` function has finished processing a collection `value`. The actual number of provided arguments depends on function `length`. If the `indicator` function accepts two arguments, the `indicator` function is provided `value` and `next`. If the `indicator` function accepts three arguments, the `indicator` function is provided `value`, `index`, and `next`. For every other `indicator` function signature, the `indicator` function is provided all four arguments. ```javascript function indicator( value, i, collection, next ) { console.log( 'collection: %s. %d: %d', collection.join( ',' ), i, value ); setTimeout( onTimeout, value ); function onTimeout() { console.log( value ); next( null, (value > 2000) ); } } function done( error, result ) { if ( error ) { throw error; } console.log( result ); } var arr = [ 3000, 2500, 1000 ]; countByAsync( arr, indicator, done ); /* => collection: 3000,2500,1000. 0: 3000 collection: 3000,2500,1000. 1: 2500 collection: 3000,2500,1000. 2: 1000 1000 2500 3000 { 'true': 2, 'false': 1 } */ ``` #### countByAsync.factory( \[options,] indicator ) Returns a `function` which invokes an `indicator` function once for each element in a `collection` and returns group counts. ```javascript function indicator( value, next ) { setTimeout( onTimeout, value ); function onTimeout() { console.log( value ); next( null, (value > 2000) ); } } function done( error, result ) { if ( error ) { throw error; } console.log( result ); } var f = countByAsync.factory( indicator ); var arr1 = [ 3000, 2500, 1000 ]; f( arr1, done ); /* => 1000 2500 3000 { 'true': 2, 'false': 1 } */ var arr2 = [ 300, 250, 100 ]; f( arr2, done ); /* => 100 250 300 { 'false': 3 } */ ``` The function accepts the same `options` as `countByAsync()`.
## Notes - A `collection` may be either an [`Array`][mdn-array], [`Typed Array`][mdn-typed-array], or an array-like [`Object`][mdn-object] (excluding `strings` and `functions`). - If a provided function calls the `next` callback with a truthy `error` argument, the function suspends execution and immediately calls the `done` callback for subsequent `error` handling. - The function does **not** support dynamic `collection` resizing. - The function does **not** skip `undefined` elements. - If provided an empty `collection`, the function calls the `done` callback with an empty `object` for the group results. - **Neither** `countByAsync` nor the function returned by the `factory` method **guarantee** asynchronous execution. To guarantee asynchrony, wrap the `done` callback in a function which either executes at the end of the current stack (e.g., `nextTick`) or during a subsequent turn of the event loop (e.g., `setImmediate`, `setTimeout`). - The `group` returned by an `indicator` function should be a value which can be serialized as an `object` key. As a counterexample, ```javascript function indicator( value, next ) { setTimeout( onTimeout, value ); function onTimeout() { console.log( value ); next( null, {} ); } } function done( error, result ) { if ( error ) { throw error; } console.log( result ); } var arr = [ 3000, 2500, 1000 ]; countByAsync( arr, indicator, done ); /* => 1000 2500 3000 { '[object Object]': 3 } */ ``` while each group identifier is unique, all collection elements resolve to the same group because each group identifier serializes to the same `string`.
## Examples ```javascript var resolve = require( 'path' ).resolve; var readFile = require( '@stdlib/fs/read-file' ); var countByAsync = require( '@stdlib/utils/async/count-by' ); var files = [ resolve( __dirname, 'package.json' ), resolve( __dirname, 'README.md' ), resolve( __dirname, 'beep.boop.md' ) ]; function done( error, result ) { if ( error ) { throw error; } console.log( result ); } function indicator( file, next ) { var opts = { 'encoding': 'utf8' }; readFile( file, opts, onFile ); function onFile( error ) { if ( error ) { return next( null, 'nonreadable' ); } next( null, 'readable' ); } } countByAsync( files, indicator, done ); ```