Why does my jQuery when().then() function trigger

Question

I need to set an async callback, because a function fetches content from a remote location. I'm doing this:

$.when( priv[box.view.renderWith](content, box.view.gadget_id) ).then(function(late) {
    console.log("done");
    console.log(late)
    console.log($(content))
    $(content).append(late).enhanceWithin();
});

with my when function triggering a single Ajax request. In it's callback I'm returning an element to append to $(content).

My problem is, the then function fires immediately and long before my ajax callback is run and returns something.

Question:
Is it not possible to use when() with a function that makes an ajax-request? Do I have to make the ajax request directly in when()? Or why is then() triggered right away? How could I workaround this?

Thanks!

EDIT: My current version of the snippet:

$.when( priv[box.view.renderWith](content, box.view.gadget_id) ).then(function(fragment) {
    // DOM manip...
    console.log("NOW WE ARE DONE WITH WHEN");
    console.log(fragment)
    $(content).append(fragment).enhanceWithin();
});

And the function, I'm calling (without content generation part):

priv.constructListbox = function (element, internal) {
  var no_data_body,
    no_data_cell,
    portable,
    gadget_id = element.getAttribute("data-gadget-id") || internal,
   settings = priv.gadget_properties[gadget_id],
    portal_type = settings.portal_type_title,
    // wrapper
    $parent = $(element.parentNode);

  if (settings !== undefined) {

   // ASYNC > this will trigger an Ajax request
    portable = priv.erp5.allDocs({
      "query": "type: \"" + settings.datasource + "\"",
      "limit": [0, (settings.configuration.pagination.items_per_page_select[0] || 30)],
      "wildcard_character": "%",
      "include_docs": true
    }).always(function (answer) {

      .... stuff ...

      // finish
      // return to calling function
      if (internal) {
        console.log("foo");
        console.log("no we only give back a fragment");
        return fragment_container;
      }
      $parent.empty().append( fragment_container ).enhanceWithin();
    });

    // if internal call, return the promise object
    if (internal) {
      console.log("foo internal, promise");
      return portable;
    }
  } else {
    // error handler
   }
};

When I console portable inside my then callback, I get the promise object, so now the function is returning the promise vs an element. However when resolved, I was hoping I would get my fragment_container when I'm not ... getting anything :-(

Hopefully clear enough.

Answer 1

Best advice I ever heard is to treat Async programming like normal functions and then add the promises at the end.

I'm having diffculty seeing where you are setting fragment_container, but here goes..

priv.constructListbox = function (element, internal) {
   var dfd = new $.Deferred();

   ...

   if (settings !== undefined) {

     portable = priv.erp5.allDocs({
       "query": "type: \"" + settings.datasource + "\"",
       "limit": [0, (settings.configuration.pagination.items_per_page_select[0] || 30)],
       "wildcard_character": "%",
       "include_docs": true
     }).always(function (answer) {

  .... stuff ...

       // finish
       // return to calling function
       if (internal) {
         console.log("foo");
         console.log("no we only give back a fragment");
         dfd.resolve({message:"You did it!", element: fragment_container });
       }
       $parent.empty().append( fragment_container ).enhanceWithin();
     });
   } else {
     dfd.reject({result:"Nope - no data came out"});
    // error handler
   }
   return dfd.promise();
}; 

then it's easy to see what you've returned:

$.when( priv[box.view.renderWith](content, box.view.gadget_id) ).then(function(fragment) {
    console.log("NOW WE ARE DONE WITH WHEN");
    console.log(fragment);
},
function(fragment) {
    console.log("It failed");
    console.log(fragment);
});