Reassessing Concurrency: The Limitations of Async/Await
Playground Wisdom: Threads Beat Async/Await 🔗
The article argues that async/await is an inadequate solution for handling concurrency in programming languages, suggesting that threads are a better alternative. It critiques the limitations of async/await, such as issues with back pressure, the inability to freely suspend execution, and the complexities it adds to debugging and profiling. The author contrasts the intuitive nature of concurrency in platforms like Scratch with the complexities introduced by traditional programming languages. The discussion also highlights the evolution of concurrency models across different programming languages like JavaScript, Python, and C#, and proposes that future programming languages should prioritize structured concurrency and user-friendly abstractions over async/await.
- Async/await is seen as a poor abstraction for concurrency.
- Threads are proposed as a more effective solution for managing execution.
- The article highlights the intuitive nature of concurrency in educational platforms like Scratch.
- Different programming languages have distinct approaches to concurrency, each with its own challenges.
- Future language designs should focus on structured concurrency as a core feature.
What is the main criticism of async/await in the text?
The main criticism is that async/await complicates concurrency management and introduces issues like back pressure and debugging difficulties, making it less effective than using threads.
How does the article relate Scratch to programming concurrency?
Scratch is presented as an ideal model for teaching programming because it naturally incorporates concurrency, allowing users to think of actions as happening simultaneously, unlike traditional programming languages.
What is suggested for the future of programming languages regarding concurrency?
The article suggests that future languages should prioritize structured concurrency and user-friendly abstractions, moving away from the complexities introduced by async/await systems.