AI engineering glossary · Computing foundations
What is asynchronous programming?
Asynchronous programming: A style of programming where a task that must wait, for example for a network reply, hands control back so other work can run meanwhile, then resumes when the result is ready. It handles many waiting tasks efficiently in one thread.
Asynchronous programming: an example
An API server using async code can await a slow database call while serving other users' requests.
Related terms
More Computing foundations terms
Where you learn it
Asynchronous programming is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.