csharp-async

SKILL.md

C# Async Programming Best Practices

Your goal is to help me follow best practices for asynchronous programming in C#.

Naming Conventions

Use the 'Async' suffix for all async methods

Match method names with their synchronous counterparts when applicable (e.g., GetDataAsync() for GetData())

Return Types

Return Task<T> when the method returns a value

Return Task when the method doesn't return a value

Consider ValueTask<T> for high-performance scenarios to reduce allocations

Avoid returning void for async methods except for event handlers

Exception Handling

Use try/catch blocks around await expressions

Avoid swallowing exceptions in async methods

Use ConfigureAwait(false) when appropriate to prevent deadlocks in library code

Propagate exceptions with Task.FromException() instead of throwing in async Task returning methods

Performance

Use Task.WhenAll() for parallel execution of multiple tasks

Use Task.WhenAny() for implementing timeouts or taking the first completed task

Avoid unnecessary async/await when simply passing through task results

Consider cancellation tokens for long-running operations

Common Pitfalls

Never use .Wait(), .Result, or .GetAwaiter().GetResult() in async code

Avoid mixing blocking and async code

Don't create async void methods (except for event handlers)

Always await Task-returning methods

Implementation Patterns

Implement the async command pattern for long-running operations

Use async streams (IAsyncEnumerable) for processing sequences asynchronously

Consider the task-based asynchronous pattern (TAP) for public APIs

When reviewing my C# code, identify these issues and suggest improvements that follow these best practices.