In Flutter, the keyword await
is used in conjunction with the async
keyword to handle asynchronous operations.
When you mark a function with the async
keyword, it means that the function can perform tasks asynchronously. Inside an async function, you can use the await
keyword to pause the execution of the function until a particular asynchronous operation is completed. This allows you to write asynchronous code in a more synchronous style, making it easier to read and understand.
Here’s an example to illustrate the usage of await
in Flutter:
void main() {
fetchData();
print(‘Fetching data…’);
}
Future<void> fetchData() async {
// Simulating an asynchronous operation that takes some time
await Future.delayed(Duration(seconds: 2));
print(‘Data fetched!’);
}
In the code above, we have a main
function that calls the fetchData
function. Inside the fetchData
function, we use the await
keyword before the Future.delayed
function call. This tells Dart to pause the execution of the fetchData
function until the Future.delayed
operation completes.
While waiting for the delay to finish, the control flow returns to the main
function, and the line print('Fetching data...')
is executed immediately. After the delay of 2 seconds, the await
expression resolves, and the execution continues from that point onward. The line print('Data fetched!')
is then executed, and the program terminates.
Using await
allows you to write code that appears to execute sequentially, even though it involves asynchronous operations. It helps you handle asynchronous tasks in a more readable and structured manner.