Python async/await unraveled

Python coroutines in detail -- understand the magical await keyword and how it manages to transform callback hell into coroutine bliss.

If you have ever wondered what await actually does, explained in terms of ordinary code, this talk is for you.

I’ll introduce coroutines in async programming and briefly compare them to callbacks and promises, showing examples of their use in asyncio alongside equivalent blocking code. Then I’ll use these examples to delve further into the seemingly magical await keyword and the programming model it brings about. After the talk you should be able to understand what await X expands to, how a coroutine could be desugared into an ordinary function, and why you’re happy you don’t have to do it yourself.

Saturday, 2019-10-12 @ 11:35
> Skill level: advanced
> Duration: 90 min

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Hrvoje Nikšić

I am a programmer specializing in building complex systems, balancing between maintainability, performance, usability, and getting things done. I have developed on a variety of Unix-like systems and am the principal author of the Wget utility found on most of them. For the last decade I've been working for AVL GmbH on the foundational libraries for a suite of multi-platform frontends for physical simulations. I endorse humane user interfaces, open platforms, and free software.