C# Difference between GetAwaiter() and GetResult() methods of task

In .NET, specifically in the Task Parallel Library (TPL), the GetAwaiter() and GetResult() methods are related to asynchronous programming and are used to work with asynchronous operations represented by the Task class.

1. GetAwaiter() Method:

The GetAwaiter() method is part of the async programming pattern and is used to obtain an awaiter for awaiting the completion of a Task. When you use the await keyword in an asynchronous method, the compiler translates it into calling GetAwaiter() on the awaited Task.

   async Task MyAsyncMethod()
   {
       await SomeAsyncOperation();
   }

   

Here, SomeAsyncOperation() returns a Task, and await calls GetAwaiter() on that Task.

2. GetResult() Method:

The GetResult() method is used to obtain the result of a completed Task. It is typically used to synchronously retrieve the result of a Task when the Task has completed its execution.

   async Task<int> GetValueAsync()
   {
       return await SomeAsyncOperation();
   }

   // Somewhere in code:
   int result = GetValueAsync().GetResult();

   

In this example, GetValueAsync() is an asynchronous method that returns a Task<int>. When calling GetResult() on the Task, it will block the current thread until the Task is completed and then return the result.

Key Differences:

• GetAwaiter() is used for asynchronous programming and is typically used in conjunction with the await keyword to await the completion of a Task.
• GetResult() is used to synchronously obtain the result of a completed Task and is often used to block the current thread until the Task completes and returns its result. However, blocking on a Task using GetResult() is generally discouraged in modern asynchronous programming as it can lead to deadlocks in certain scenarios. It's often better to use await instead.