JavaScript - How to pass a variable from one async function to another? - async-await

Question

I have spent a good few hours on trying to figure this out but drawing a blank.
I need to pass an array from one async function to another. Problem is, I am very new to this whole async/await world.
My code is below. I need to pass elems to the step2 function
var selenium = require('selenium-webdriver');
var Builder = selenium.Builder;
var By = selenium.By;
var Key = selenium.Key;
var util = selenium.util;
var firefox = require('selenium-webdriver/firefox');
var http = require('http');
var querystring = require('querystring');
async function startBot() {
var driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('firefox').build();
await driver.get('randomSite');
if(true){//Putting this here as it may have to do with scope. I am not sure
async function step1(){
for(var p=0; p <5 ; p++){//elems is undefined
var elem1 = await driver.findElement(By.xpath("/html/body/div/div[1]")).getText();
var elem2 = await driver.findElement(By.xpath("/html/body/div/div[2]")).getText();
var elems = [elem1, elem2]; //How do I pass this array to tge step2 funtion?
}
}
if(true){//Putting this here as it may have to do with scope. I am not sure
var char1 = 1;
var char2 = 2;
//button1
async function step2(){
for (var i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
if(elems[i] == char1){//elems is undefined
await driver.findElement(By.xpath("/html/body/div/div[" + i + "]")).click().then(function(res, err){
if(err){ reject(err); };
});
break;
}
}
}
await step1();
await step2();
}
}
};
startBot();

Answer 1

You can pass the elems array as a parameter to the step2 function. However, you have to do some modifications:
async function step1(){
for(var p=0; p <5 ; p++){
var elem1 = await driver.findElement(By.xpath("/html/body/div/div[1]")).getText();
var elem2 = await driver.findElement(By.xpath("/html/body/div/div[2]")).getText();
var elems = [elem1, elem2];
}
return step2(elems);
}
async function step2(elems){
for (var i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
if(elems[i] == char1){
await driver.findElement(By.xpath("/html/body/div/div[" + i + "]")).click().then(function(res, err){
if(err){ reject(err); };
});
break;
}
}
}
And only use await with the step1 function:
await step1();
That's because we returned another promise step2(elems) from the step1 function. Therefore, the await keyword will have to wait for both step1 and step2. Remember that when you call an asynchronous function you always get a promise.

Answer 2

Define elems outside the function.