What are the performance differences between threading and async programming?

What are the performance differences between threading and async programming?

Threading allows multiple threads to run concurrently, which can improve performance for CPU-bound tasks. Async programming, on the other hand, is more efficient for I/O-bound tasks as it allows other operations to run while waiting for I/O operations to complete.

Can you give examples of when to use each approach?

Sure! Use threading for tasks like image processing or calculations that require heavy CPU usage. Use async for tasks like web requests or file reading, where waiting for I/O is common.

What are the downsides of each method?

Threading can lead to issues like race conditions and increased complexity in managing threads. Async programming can be harder to understand and debug, especially for those unfamiliar with the async/await pattern.

Which one is generally faster?

It depends on the task. For CPU-bound tasks, threading might be faster, while for I/O-bound tasks, async programming usually performs better.