What are Python's async capabilities, such as asyncio and FastAPI, and when would you use them?

[fastqa]

Python's async capabilities include libraries like asyncio and frameworks like FastAPI. These tools enable asynchronous programming, which allows for non-blocking operations and can improve performance in I/O-bound and high-concurrency applications.

Asyncio

• Asyncio is a library to write concurrent code using the async/await syntax.
• It provides a framework for asynchronous I/O, event loops, coroutines, and tasks.
• Use Cases:
  • Network applications (e.g., web servers, chat applications)
  • I/O-bound tasks (e.g., reading/writing files, database queries)

Example

import asyncio

async def main():
    print('Hello')
    await asyncio.sleep(1)
    print('World')

asyncio.run(main())

FastAPI

• FastAPI is a modern, fast (high-performance), web framework for building APIs with Python 3.6+ based on standard Python type hints.
• It leverages asyncio to handle asynchronous requests efficiently.
• Use Cases:
  • Building high-performance APIs
  • Applications requiring real-time data processing

Example

from fastapi import FastAPI

app = FastAPI()

@app.get('/')
async def read_root():
    return {"Hello": "World"}

When to Use Them

• Asyncio: Use when you need to manage asynchronous I/O operations or when building applications that require high concurrency.
• FastAPI: Use when you need to build high-performance APIs quickly and efficiently, especially if your application will benefit from asynchronous request handling.