gistfile1.js

/**
 * Allows for calling a method asynchronously and queueing pending callbacks to avoid
 * race conditions.
 * 
 * Example:
 * 
 * function createUniverse(arg, callback) {
 *   // important stuff that should not run in parallel here
 *   callback(whatever);
 * }
 * 
 * You can now safely run this with queued callbacks:
 *
 * // or use bind/curry
 * function inflationary(cb) { createUniverse("inflationary", cb); }
 * 
 * multiplexCallback(inflationary, function() { ... thing one ... });
 * multiplexCallback(inflationary, function() { ... thing two ... });
 * multiplexCallback(inflationary, function() { ... thing three ... });
 */
function multiplexCallback(callbackable, callback) {
    if (!callbackable.__multiplex_callback_list) {
        callbackable.__multiplex_callback_list = [];
        callbackable.__multiplex_callback_list.push(callback);
        callbackable(function () {
            for (var i = 0, l = callbackable.__multiplex_callback_list.length; i < l; i++) {
                callbackable.__multiplex_callback_list[i]();
            }
            // delete processed callbacks
            delete callbackable.__multiplex_callback_list;
        });
    } else {
        callbackable.__multiplex_callback_list.push(callback);
    }
}

function makeMultiplexedCallbackable(callbackable) {
  return function(callback) {
    return multiplexCallback(callbackable, callback);
  }
}

describe("#multiplexedCallback", function() {
        it("it should invoke all callbacks after asynchronous invocation", function() {
            var times_called = {
              red: 0,
              green: 0
            };
            function paint_bikeshed(color, callback) {
                // pretend important async stuff is here
                times_called[color] = times_called[color] + 1;
                setTimeout(callback, 1000);
            }
            var red_one = "";
            var red_two = "";
            var red_three = "";
            var red_done = false;
            var red_callbackable = makeMultiplexedCallbackable(function(cb) { paint_bikeshed("red", cb); });
            
            var green_one = "";
            var green_two = "";
            var green_three = "";
            var green_done = false;
            var green_callbackable = makeMultiplexedCallbackable(function(cb) { paint_bikeshed("green", cb); });
            
            runs(function() {
              red_callbackable(function() { red_one = "red: sanding"; });
              red_callbackable(function() { red_two = "red: priming"; });
              red_callbackable(function() { red_three = "red: painting"; red_done = true; });
  
              green_callbackable(function() { green_one = "green: sanding"; });
              green_callbackable(function() { green_two = "green: priming"; });
              green_callbackable(function() { green_three = "green: painting"; green_done = true; });
            });

            this.waitsFor(function() {
              return red_done && green_done;
            }, 20000);
  
            runs(function() {
              // method only called once, but all callbacks are called afterwards!
              expect(times_called.red).toEqual(1);
              expect(red_one).toEqual("red: sanding");
              expect(red_two).toEqual("red: priming");
              expect(red_three).toEqual("red: painting");
              
              // method only called once, but all callbacks are called afterwards!
              expect(times_called.green).toEqual(1);
              expect(green_one).toEqual("green: sanding");
              expect(green_two).toEqual("green: priming");
              expect(green_three).toEqual("green: painting");
              
              // the callback cache should be reset, so we should be able to execute it again
              times_called.red = 0;
              times_called.green = 0;
              red_done = false;
              green_done = false;
            
              red_callbackable(function() { red_one = "red: something else entirely"; red_done = true; });
              green_callbackable(function() { green_one = "green: something else entirely"; green_done = true; });
            });
            
            this.waitsFor(function() {
              return red_done && green_done;
            }, 20000);

            runs(function() {
              expect(times_called.red).toEqual(1);
              expect(red_one).toEqual("red: something else entirely");
              
              expect(times_called.green).toEqual(1);
              expect(green_one).toEqual("green: something else entirely");
            });
        });
    });

is there a library that already has utilities like this?

http://augmentjs.com has bind
http://supplementjs.com, http://kitcambridge.github.com/maddy, http://functools.kodfabrik.com/man.html have curry/partial application
https://github.com/kriskowal/q - support for sophisticated asynchronous processing; probably can do the above with "promises"

Moved to jsFiddle with new approach by @mkuklis http://jsfiddle.net/JNFQy/1/

http://jsfiddle.net/JNFQy/2/