C# Async Programming Best Practices

Best practices guide for C# asynchronous programming patterns and pitfalls.

- Covers naming conventions (Async suffix), return types (Task, ValueTask, avoid void), and exception handling strategies including ConfigureAwait and Task.FromException

- Highlights performance optimization techniques: Task.WhenAll for parallel execution, Task.WhenAny for timeouts, and cancellation token usage

- Documents critical pitfalls to avoid: blocking calls like .Wait() and .Result, async void methods outside event handlers, and mixing blocking with async code

- Recommends implementation patterns including async command pattern, async streams (IAsyncEnumerable), and task-based asynchronous pattern (TAP) for public APIs

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