Async in C# 5.0

Book excerpt: If you’re writing one of several applications that call for asynchronous programming, this concise hands-on guide shows you how the async feature in C# 5.0 can make the process much simpler. Along with a clear introduction to asynchronous programming, you get an in-depth look at how the async feature works and why you might want to use it in your application. Written for experienced C# programmers—yet approachable for beginners—this book is packed with code examples that you can extend for your own projects. Write your own asynchronous code, and learn how async saves you from this messy chore Discover new performance possibilities in ASP.NET web server code Explore how async and WinRT work together in Windows 8 applications Learn the importance of the await keyword in async methods Understand which .NET thread is running your code—and at what points in the program Use the Task-based Asynchronous Pattern (TAP) to write asynchronous APIs in .NET Take advantage of parallel computing in modern machines Measure async code performance by comparing it with alternatives