p5.js loadImage() ↔ Browser Image Loading: How to Gracefully Cancel or Time‑Out Asynchronous Loads?

p5.js loadImage() ↔ Browser Image Loading

When an image is requested with loadImage(), p5.js internally creates an HTMLImageElement and attaches onload and onerror callbacks. The library offers a timeout argument, but this merely stops the callback from firing after a set period; it does not abort the underlying network request or clear the image source. No public API exists to cancel the load mid‑stream, and developers must resort to manual workarounds such as setting nativeElement.src = '' or using an AbortController with a custom fetch implementation. This lack of a standardized cancellation mechanism is an unresolved decision in the p5.js ecosystem.

Given the growing need for responsive sketches that can abort heavy image loads or enforce strict time limits, the community is debating whether p5.js should expose a cancellable promise or integrate AbortController natively. The current documentation does not cover this scenario, leaving developers uncertain about the best practice.

What are the implications of adding a built‑in abort API to loadImage()?
How can a sketch reliably cancel a pending image load without triggering onload or onerror callbacks?
What would be the most browser‑compatible approach to enforce a timeout that also cancels the underlying request?