Mastering Asynchronous Programming in Flutter with Dart’s async, await, and future Keywords

In this post, we will explore the concept of asynchronous programming and how it has revolutionized the development of efficient programs in various programming languages. Specifically, we will focus on how asynchronous programming is implemented in the Dart programming language.

What is asynchronous programming?

Asynchronous programming is the execution of computer programs independently of the main program flow. Before we dive into asynchronous programming, it’s important to understand synchronous programming. Computer programs execute line by line in a sequence, but when a line of code takes too long to execute, it can slow down the entire program. Asynchronous programming solves this bottleneck by allowing programs to run independently from each other, which makes it possible for programmers to identify time-consuming code and execute it in the background, making the code more efficient and less tedious.

Asynchronous programming in dart programming language

Asynchronous programming is a fundamental concept across many programming languages, although the specific implementation may differ. In Dart, we utilize keywords such as Async, Await, and Future to execute asynchronous programming. Other programming languages, such as JavaScript, use promises to achieve the same effect.

The async keyword

The “async” keyword is used to designate a function as asynchronous. This means that the program will run independently of this function, even if it takes some time to complete. Essentially, it signals to the computer that this function should run asynchronously.

The await keyword

The “await” keyword is used to wait for the result of an asynchronous operation before proceeding to the next line of code. It allows the main flow of the program to continue executing while the operation is being carried out in the background. However, the await keyword can only be used within functions marked as asynchronous with the async keyword, and it is restricted only to the function in which it is used. This means that other functions outside of the asynchronous function can continue executing while the operation is in progress.

The future keyword

In Dart, a future is an object that represents the result of an asynchronous operation. It signifies that the result of the function will be available in the future, as it’s being awaited to finish executing before the result is returned. If your function is to return a value and you’re using the async and await keywords, then that value must be wrapped in a future. By doing this, you ensure that the program doesn’t continue until the asynchronous operation is complete, and the result is ready to be used.

Bringing everything together

The async keyword marks a function as asynchronous, allowing it to run independently of the natural flow of the program. Asynchronous functions typically involve time-consuming instructions that may take an unknown amount of time to complete, and they are required to return an output once completed. To ensure the operation is completed before using the result in the program, we use the await keyword. If the function does not complete, it returns an empty result.

The return type of an asynchronous function can be an object or any core data type, but since the result is not immediately available, it must be a Future indicating that it will be available in the future.

Conclusion

In summary, asynchronous programming allows for efficient and effective development of computer programs. By using the appropriate keywords in Dart programming, programmers can develop more effective and efficient programs.