Non-blocking I/O vs Synchronous I/O
Developers should learn and use non-blocking I/O when building applications that require high concurrency and low latency, such as web servers, real-time systems, or data-intensive services meets developers should use synchronous i/o for straightforward, sequential tasks where blocking is acceptable, such as in simple scripts, batch processing, or applications with low concurrency demands. Here's our take.
Non-blocking I/O
Developers should learn and use non-blocking I/O when building applications that require high concurrency and low latency, such as web servers, real-time systems, or data-intensive services
Non-blocking I/O
Nice PickDevelopers should learn and use non-blocking I/O when building applications that require high concurrency and low latency, such as web servers, real-time systems, or data-intensive services
Pros
- +It is particularly valuable in environments like Node
- +Related to: event-loop, asynchronous-programming
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
Synchronous I/O
Developers should use synchronous I/O for straightforward, sequential tasks where blocking is acceptable, such as in simple scripts, batch processing, or applications with low concurrency demands
Pros
- +It's easier to implement and debug due to its linear execution, making it suitable for learning I/O basics or in environments where performance is not critical, like small-scale desktop applications or initial prototyping
- +Related to: asynchronous-io, multithreading
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
The Verdict
Use Non-blocking I/O if: You want it is particularly valuable in environments like node and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.
Use Synchronous I/O if: You prioritize it's easier to implement and debug due to its linear execution, making it suitable for learning i/o basics or in environments where performance is not critical, like small-scale desktop applications or initial prototyping over what Non-blocking I/O offers.
Developers should learn and use non-blocking I/O when building applications that require high concurrency and low latency, such as web servers, real-time systems, or data-intensive services
Disagree with our pick? nice@nicepick.dev