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= Task in Elixir = [[File:Elixir_logo.png|thumb|right|200px]] '''Task''' is a powerful abstraction in the [[Elixir]] programming language that allows concurrent and asynchronous programming. It provides a convenient way to spawn lightweight processes to execute potentially expensive operations in the background. == Introduction == In Elixir, concurrency is achieved through lightweight processes called [[Elixir_Process|processes]]. These processes are isolated and can communicate with each other using message passing. [[Concurrent_Computing|Concurrency]] is a fundamental concept in Elixir, enabling developers to write highly scalable and responsive applications. Tasks are a higher-level abstraction built on top of processes. They provide a simpler interface for spawning and managing processes, making it easier to write concurrent programs. == Creating a Task == A task can be created using the `Task` module. The `Task.start/1` function is used to start a new task, and it takes a parameter to specify what the task should execute. ```elixir task = Task.start(fn -> do_something() end) ``` The above code starts a new task that will execute the `do_something()` function concurrently. == Waiting for a Task to Complete == To wait for a task to complete its execution, the `Task.await/2` function is used. It blocks the calling process until the task completes. ```elixir result = Task.await(task) ``` The `Task.await/2` function returns the value returned by the task upon completion. == Asynchronous Tasks == Sometimes, we don't need to wait for a task to complete before continuing with other work. In such cases, we can execute a task asynchronously using `Task.async/1`. It returns immediately, allowing the calling process to continue its execution. ```elixir task = Task.async(fn -> do_something() end) ``` The `Task.async/1` function returns a `Task` struct that represents the running task. == Error Handling == Tasks can handle errors using the `Task.start_link/1` function, which starts the task with a supervision strategy. ```elixir {:ok, task} = Task.start_link(fn -> do_something() end) ``` If an error occurs during the execution of the task, it will be propagated to the caller. == Supervision == Tasks can be supervised using the `Task.Supervisor` module. Supervision provides fault tolerance and restart capabilities for tasks. By defining a supervisor, tasks can be managed and restarted in case of failures. == Conclusion == Tasks are a powerful tool in Elixir for concurrent and asynchronous programming. They provide a high-level interface for working with lightweight processes, making it easier to build scalable and responsive applications. With tasks, developers can take advantage of Elixir's concurrency model and create efficient, fault-tolerant systems. [[Category:Elixir]] [[Category:Concurrency]] [[Category:Asynchronous Programming]]
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