Asyncio's Pitfalls: Traps in Python Asynchronous Programming and Trio's Redemption
2025-07-27

Python's asyncio library, while introducing the possibility of asynchronous programming, is riddled with design flaws. These include easily overlooked cancellation mechanisms, tasks being unexpectedly destroyed, traps in I/O operations, and a difficult-to-use queue. The article details these problems and contrasts them with Trio's elegant solutions. Trio addresses many of asyncio's headaches with level-triggered cancellation, strong task references, a more intuitive I/O API, and efficient channels. It provides a more reliable and user-friendly option for Python asynchronous programming. AnyIO offers a compromise, implementing Trio-like semantics on top of asyncio, balancing compatibility and ease of use.
Development