Question 1

How do I make an object observable with symbol-observable?

Accepted Answer

Assign a function to the object's Symbol.observable property that returns a subscription object, as shown in the README example. This involves manually handling event listeners and unsubscribe logic, which requires careful implementation to avoid leaks.

Question 2

Does symbol-observable work in Node.js or older browsers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it works in Node.js and browsers by using a ponyfill approach—it provides Symbol.observable if Symbol exists, or falls back to a string identifier in environments without Symbol support, ensuring basic functionality.

Question 3

What's the difference between symbol-observable and RxJS?

Accepted Answer

symbol-observable only provides the Symbol.observable identifier for interoperability, while RxJS is a full-featured library with operators, schedulers, and observable implementations. Use symbol-observable for cross-library compatibility, and RxJS for advanced reactive programming.

Question 4

Can I use symbol-observable without any other observable libraries?

Accepted Answer

Technically yes, but it's not recommended—the README suggests using libraries like RxJS instead. Without them, you must build all observable logic from scratch, which defeats the purpose of interoperability and increases complexity.

Question 5

How to check if an object is observable using symbol-observable?

Accepted Answer

You can use the related is-observable library mentioned in the README, or manually check if the object has the Symbol.observable property and that it's a function, as per the proposal specification.

Question 6

Is symbol-observable a polyfill or ponyfill, and what's the difference?

Accepted Answer

It's primarily a ponyfill, meaning you import and use its exported symbol directly rather than modifying global scope. It polyfills Symbol.observable only if Symbol exists, but does not polyfill Symbol itself, avoiding potential conflicts.

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