What are futures in the C++ standard library?

What are futures in the C++ standard library?

Futures in C++ are a way to handle asynchronous operations. They allow you to retrieve a value that will be available in the future.

How do I create a future in C++?

You can create a future using the std::async function or by using std::promise and std::future together.

Can you give me an example of using std::async?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

#include <future>
#include <iostream>

int compute() {
    return 42;
}

int main() {
    std::future<int> result = std::async(compute);
    std::cout << "The answer is: " << result.get() << std::endl;
}

What happens if I try to get the result before it's ready?

If you call get() on a future before the result is ready, it will block until the result is available.