C++: Async vs Sync

What is the difference between asynchronous and synchronous programming in C++?

Synchronous programming executes tasks one after another, while asynchronous allows tasks to run concurrently.

Can you give me an example of synchronous code in C++?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

#include <iostream>
#include <thread>

void task() {
    std::cout << "Task is running..." << std::endl;
}

int main() {
    task(); // This runs synchronously
    std::cout << "Task completed!" << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

What about an example of asynchronous programming?

Here's an example using C++11's std::async:

#include <iostream>
#include <future>

int task() {
    return 42;
}

int main() {
    std::future<int> result = std::async(task); // This runs asynchronously
    std::cout << "Task is running..." << std::endl;
    std::cout << "Result: " << result.get() << std::endl; // Waits for task to complete
    return 0;
}