Python — Asynchronous Processing Introduction

What is Asynchronous Processing

Asynchronous processing is a programming paradigm that allows tasks or operations to be executed concurrently without blocking the main program’s execution.

In traditional synchronous processing, tasks are executed sequentially, one after the other, where the program waits for the completion of each task before moving on to the next one.

This approach can lead to inefficiency, especially when dealing with operations that involve waiting for I/O, such as file operations or network requests, where the program is idle for significant periods.

For example, if you run the following code:

import time

# Synchronous function that performs a task
def task(name):
    print(f"Task {name} started")
    time.sleep(2)  # Simulating a delay of 2 seconds
    print(f"Task {name} completed")

# Main program

print("Main program started")

# Performing tasks sequentially
task("A")
task("B")
task("C")

print("Main program completed")

You will see the following output:

Main program started
Task A started
Task A…