What's async/await? When would you use it?

Question

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Async/await is a syntax in Swift (and many other programming languages) used for
writing asynchronous, non-blocking code in a more readable and linear manner.
 * Async: Marks a function as asynchronous, meaning it can suspend its execution
   and wait for a result without blocking the thread.
 * Await: Pauses the execution of the async function until the awaited
   asynchronous operation completes.

WHEN TO USE IT:

1. Network Calls: For handling API requests or database operations without
    freezing the UI.
 2. Concurrency: When you want to perform multiple tasks simultaneously but in a
    structured way.
 3. Simplified Code: To replace nested closures or completion handlers, making
    the code cleaner and easier to maintain.

Example in Swift:

swiftCopy codefunc fetchData() async throws -> Data {

let url = URL(string: "https://api.example.com/data")!

let (data, _) = try await URLSession.shared.data(from: url)

return data

}

This makes asynchronous code behave more like synchronous code while remaining
efficient and non-blocking.

What's async/await? When would you use it?

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