q4.js

var isPromise = function (value) {
    return value && typeof value.then === "function";
};

var defer = function () {
    var pending = [], value;
    return {
        resolve: function (_value) {
            if (pending) {
                value = ref(_value); // values wrapped in a promise
                for (var i = 0, ii = pending.length; i < ii; i++) {
                    var callback = pending[i];
                    value.then(callback); // then called instead
                }
                pending = undefined;
            }
        },
        promise: {
            then: function (_callback) {
                var result = defer();
                // callback is wrapped so that its return
                // value is captured and used to resolve the promise
                // that "then" returns
                var callback = function (value) {
                    result.resolve(_callback(value));
                };
                if (pending) {
                    pending.push(callback);
                } else {
                    value.then(callback);
                }
                return result.promise;
            }
        }
    };
};

var ref = function (value) {
    if (value && typeof value.then === "function")
        return value;
    return {
        then: function (callback) {
            return ref(callback(value));
        }
    };
};