Async in methods

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#1

So I know that the word async appears after many functions. The most popular are the data stores. But here are all the methods that have -async after them.

DataStore:UpdateAsync()
DataStore:SetAsync()
DataStore:IncrementAsync()
DataStore:GetAsync()
DataStore:RemoveAsync()
PolicyService:GetPolicyInfoForPlayerAsync()
Path:ComputeAsync()
Player:RequestStreamAroundAsync()
HttpService:RequestAsync()
HttpService:GetAsync()
ContentProvider:PreloadAsync()
BasePart:UnionAsync()
HttpService:PostAsync()
Players:GetFriendsAsync()
GroupService:GetAlliesAsync()
TeleportService:TeleportPartyAsync()
MarketplaceService:GetDeveloperProductsAsync()
TextService:FilterStringAsync()

These are all the methods that come off of the top of my head, but I noticed it would be much more straightforward if say, you did this:

DataStore:Set(player.UserId, value)

I know there is a reason for the async. I suspect each method with async links to something external. I know group service and http service are linked to the website. But that does not explain things like :ComputeAsync because that is a method of the pathfinding class and that is within the roblox engine.

#2

Because it is an asynchronous operation.

#3

So basically a yielding function like Instance:WaitForChild()?

#4

What I believe Async is is a method of telling you that you are saving something or getting something. Almost all of them also uses external resources(that are not from the game), such as:

DataStore:UpdateAsync()
DataStore:SetAsync()
DataStore:IncrementAsync()
DataStore:GetAsync()
DataStore:RemoveAsync()

They use Robloxes DataStore.

#5

So basically these functions return void?

#6

Yeah, they’re yielding functions. Unlike WaitForChild, though, it might not be immediately obvious that they yield, since their main purpose isn’t really to yield. That’s why they put Async in the name.

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