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tj/co-parallel

Analysis updated 2026-07-03 · repo last pushed 2016-12-27

109JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5DormantSetup · easy

TLDR

A JavaScript utility that runs multiple async tasks at the same time with a concurrency limit, returning results in the original order. Built on the older co/generator async pattern.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Runs tasks in parallel
      Caps simultaneous tasks
      Keeps results ordered
    Use cases
      Web scrapers
      API aggregators
      Batch URL checking
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      Node.js
      Co library
      Generator functions
    Audience
      Node developers
      Async pattern users
      Legacy code maintainers
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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Build a web scraper that fetches pages in controlled batches to avoid rate limits.

USE CASE 2

Check HTTP status of many URLs five at a time instead of all at once.

USE CASE 3

Aggregate data from multiple APIs without overwhelming your system resources.

What is it built with?

JavaScriptNode.jscoGenerators

How does it compare?

tj/co-parallelsophomoresty/bpc-fetchdeficryptobots/cryptobots-solana-sniper-pumpfun-free
Stars10910496
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2016-12-27
MaintenanceDormant
Setup difficultyeasymoderatemoderate
Complexity2/52/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdevelopergeneral

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

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Requires familiarity with the older co/generator async pattern and thunk-based functions.

The explanation does not mention a license, so the license terms are unknown.

In plain English

co-parallel is a JavaScript utility that runs multiple async tasks simultaneously while making sure the results come back in the same order you started them. It also lets you cap how many tasks run at the same time, so you don't overwhelm your system or get rate-limited by external services. The library addresses a specific pain point: you might fire off dozens of HTTP requests at once and hit a server's rate limit or max out your own resources. Instead of sending all requests simultaneously, co-parallel processes them in controlled batches. You give it a list of tasks and a concurrency number (defaulting to 5), and it runs that many at a time until all are done. Once everything finishes, you get back an array of results positioned to match your original task list, so even if task 3 completes before task 1, the results are ordered correctly. This would be useful for developers building things like web scrapers, API aggregators, or batch-processing scripts. For example, if you need to check the HTTP status of 50 URLs, you could use this to fetch them 5 at a time rather than all at once. The controlled concurrency keeps you from getting blocked or crashing your app, and the ordering guarantee means you can reliably match each result back to its source. The project is built around generator functions and the co library, which was a popular pattern for managing async code in Node.js before async/await became native. It works with "thunks", a specific kind of function representation. The README doesn't go into much detail beyond the basic API and a single example, so you'd need some familiarity with this older async style to use it effectively.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Write a Node.js script using co-parallel to check the HTTP status of a list of 50 URLs, fetching 5 at a time and returning results in the original order.
Prompt 2
Convert this co-parallel code that uses generator functions and the co library into modern async/await syntax that preserves concurrency limits and result ordering.
Prompt 3
Create a web scraper using co-parallel that fetches 10 product pages at a time from an e-commerce site, collecting prices and titles in the correct order.

Frequently asked questions

What is co-parallel?

A JavaScript utility that runs multiple async tasks at the same time with a concurrency limit, returning results in the original order. Built on the older co/generator async pattern.

What language is co-parallel written in?

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

Is co-parallel actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2016-12-27).

What license does co-parallel use?

The explanation does not mention a license, so the license terms are unknown.

How hard is co-parallel to set up?

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

Who is co-parallel for?

Mainly developer.

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