Image to Base64

JavaScript

// This function does not return anything.
function convertImgToBase64(url, callback, outputFormat) {
    var img = new Image();
    img.crossOrigin = 'Anonymous';
    img.onload = function () {
        var canvas = document.createElement('CANVAS');
        var ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
        canvas.height = this.height;
        canvas.width = this.width;
        ctx.drawImage(this, 0, 0);
        var dataURL = canvas.toDataURL(outputFormat || 'image/png');
        callback(dataURL);
        canvas = null;
    };
    img.src = url;
}

var codedPic;
var purl = 'http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Logo_2013_Google.png';

// convertImgToBase64 does not return anything, so codedPic will be assigned nothing and stay undefined.
var codedPic = convertImgToBase64(purl, function (base64Img) {
    console.log('attempt 1: ' + base64Img);
    // Now image is loaded, and you can assign the value into your global variable.
    codedPic = base64Img;
    console.log('attempt 2 in callback: ' + codedPic);
});

// Image is not loaded yet, 
console.log('attempt 2: ' + codedPic);