What are the best practices for using async and await in Dart?

What are the best practices for using async and await in Dart?

When using async and await in Dart, it's important to keep your code readable and avoid blocking the main thread. Here are some best practices:

1. Use async and await for non-blocking I/O operations.
2. Keep your async functions short and focused.
3. Handle exceptions properly using try-catch blocks.
4. Avoid using await in loops; consider using Future.wait for multiple futures.

Can you explain why I shouldn't use await in loops?

Using await in loops can lead to performance issues because each iteration waits for the previous one to complete before starting. This can significantly slow down your code. Instead, you can collect all the futures in a list and use Future.wait to run them concurrently.

What is Future.wait and how do I use it?

Future.wait is a method that takes a list of futures and returns a single future that completes when all the futures in the list complete. You can use it like this:

var results = await Future.wait([future1(), future2(), future3()]);

This way, all futures run concurrently, improving performance.

Are there any common mistakes to avoid with async and await?

Yes, some common mistakes include:

1. Forgetting to mark a function as async.
2. Not handling exceptions properly.
3. Using await in a loop, which can lead to performance issues.
4. Blocking the main thread with synchronous code.