Async/await is a feature of JavaScript that simplifies asynchronous programming. We will define async/await, describe how it functions.

Understand Asynchronous Programming

Asynchronous programming is a programming pattern where tasks are completed simultaneously and the results are returned as soon as they are ready. Traditional synchronous programming executes tasks sequentially, which might cause the user to wait a very long time.
Javascript offers asynchronous programming in primarily three different ways: callbacks, promises, and async/await.
Callbacks are functions that are executed after a task is completed and are passed as arguments in other functions. Promises are objects that stand in for values that might not be available right away but will be fulfilled eventually. Async/await is a modern method for managing asynchronous programming that makes the code syntax simpler and more readable.

What is Async/Await?

Programmers can write asynchronous code more synchronously using JavaScript’s async/await syntax feature. It is based on Promises and offers a cleaner, more legible approach to construct asynchronous programmes.

When a function is marked with the “async” prefix, it means that it will always return a Promises. The “await” keyword is used to halt the execution of the programme inside an async function until the Promise is fulfilled.

How to use Async/Await?

let’s look at an example to understand working of async/await. Consider the case where a function returns a Promise that resolves after some time:

function wait(ms) {
return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
}

We can use this function to create a delay in our code. For instance, We can delay the execution of the function by one second by using the code below:

async function delayedFunction() {
await wait(1000);
console.log(“Delayed function executed”);
}

In this code, we have marked the “delayedFunction” as asynchronous using the “async” keyword. We have also used the “await” keyword to pause the execution of the code until the Promises returned by “wait” function is resolved. Once the Promise is resolved, the console will log the message “Delayed function executed”.

Benefits of Using Async/Await

Using async/await has several benefits over traditional asynchronous programming methods. First, it simplifies the syntax and makes the code more readable by avoiding callback nesting and chaining. Second, it allows for better error handling by using try/catch blocks to handle exceptions. Finally, it improves the performance of web applications by allowing tasks to execute concurrently and reducing the wait time for the user.

In conclusion, JavaScript’s async/await functionality is a potent tool that lets programmers write asynchronous code in a more synchronous manner. It makes handling Promises easier and makes handling errors simpler.