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So I'm a little confused by this terminology.
Everyone refers to "Asynchronous" computing as running different processes on seperate threads, which gives the illusion that these processes are running at the same time.
This is not the definition of the word asynchronous.
a⋅syn⋅chro⋅nous –adjective 1. not occurring at the same time. 2. (of a computer or other electrical machine) having each operation started only after the preceding operation is completed. What am I not understanding here?
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Thus asynchronous is "not at the same time". Whilst no function will return a result at the same time as being called, to the calling code it appears to do so, as the latter's execution stops whilst the function runs.
In synchronous operations tasks are performed one at a time and only when one is completed, the following is unblocked. In other words, you need to wait for a task to finish to move to the next one. In asynchronous operations, on the other hand, you can move to another task before the previous one finishes.
An asynchronous process is a process or function that executes a task "in the background" without the user having to wait for the task to finish.
In computer programming, asynchronous operation means that a process operates independently of other processes, whereas synchronous operation means that the process runs only as a result of some other process being completed or handed off.
It means that the two threads are not running in sync, that is, they are not both running on the same timeline.
I think it's a case of computer scientists being too clever about their use of words.
Synchronisation, in this context, would suggest that both threads start and end at the same time. Asynchrony in this sense, means both threads are free to start, execute and end as they require.
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