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Advanced Asynchronous Techniques With FastAPI Async
Advanced Asynchronous Techniques With FastAPI Async
Advanced Asynchronous Techniques With FastAPI Async
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FastAPI harnesses the capabilities of Python's async and await syntax to create non-blocking
code, allowing for concurrent handling of multiple requests. This functionality is especially
beneficial in web development, where request handling can significantly improve application
performance.
app = FastAPI()
@app.get("/")
async def read_root():
return {"Hello": "World"}
In this example, read_root is an asynchronous function. When FastAPI receives a request at the
root endpoint, it doesn't block other operations.
✍️
Using async in FastAPI leads to more efficient use of server resources, as the server can handle
other tasks while waiting for I/O operations to complete. This efficiency translates into faster
response times and improved scalability for applications, making FastAPI a robust choice for
modern web applications.
To work, your environment needs to be properly set up. This involves installing FastAPI, an
ASGI server, and other necessary packages.
Ensure you are using Python 3.7 or later, as FastAPI's async features rely on the newer async
and await syntax introduced in Python 3.7.
Explore the seamless process of installing FastAPI using pip. This article guides you through the
essential steps to integrate this high-performance Python framework into your development
workflow.
Maksym Polishchuk
Additional Dependencies
In some cases, you might need additional libraries for database connections or asynchronous
HTTP requests. Install them using pip:
These commands add support for asynchronous database operations and HTTP requests,
enhancing the functionality of your FastAPI application.
@app.get("/items/{item_id}")
async def read_item(item_id: int):
return {"item_id": item_id}
In this snippet, read_item is an asynchronous function that fetches an item based on item_id.
The use of async allows other operations to run concurrently.
Asynchronous endpoints can perform various non-blocking operations, like database queries or
external API calls. For instance:
import httpx
@app.get("/external_data")
async def fetch_external_data():
async with httpx.AsyncClient() as client:
response = await client.get("https://api.example.com/data")
return response.json()
This function asynchronously fetches data from an external API. The await keyword pauses the
function until the HTTP request is completed.
Asynchronous endpoints can also handle path and query parameters seamlessly. Here's an
example:
@app.get("/users/{user_id}/items")
async def read_user_items(user_id: int, q: str = None):
items = await fetch_items(user_id, q) # Assume this is an async function
return items
This endpoint retrieves items for a specific user and optionally filters them based on a query
string q.
Handling database connections asynchronously allows the server to process other requests while
waiting for database operations.
Setting Up Async Databases
To begin, you need an async-compatible database library. For example, databases supports
various databases with async capabilities. Install it using:
Then, establish a connection with your chosen database. For instance, connecting to a
PostgreSQL database:
database = Database("postgresql://user:password@localhost/dbname")
It's important to initialize and close database connections at the start and end of your
application. FastAPI's event handlers are useful for this purpose:
@app.on_event("startup")
async def startup():
await database.connect()
@app.on_event("shutdown")
async def shutdown():
await database.disconnect()
Once connected, perform database operations asynchronously. For example, to fetch data:
@app.get("/items/")
async def read_items():
query = "SELECT * FROM items"
return await database.fetch_all(query)
This endpoint performs a non-blocking query to fetch all items. The use of await ensures that
the server can handle other tasks while the database query is being processed. By managing
database connections asynchronously, you significantly improve your application's ability to
handle multiple simultaneous requests. This approach is particularly beneficial for I/O-bound
tasks, common in web applications.
Issue: A FastAPI application exhibits deadlock issues where certain asynchronous endpoints
become unresponsive. This problem is traced to a specific mistake in the implementation of
async and await within these endpoints. The developer has mistakenly called an async function
within another without using the await keyword. This oversight leads to a deadlock situation
where the outer function waits indefinitely for the inner function to complete.
The solution involves ensuring that every async function call within another async function is
prefixed with the await keyword. This corrects the flow of execution, allowing the outer function
to properly wait for the inner function to complete before proceeding.
Corrected Code:
@app.get("/items/{item_id}")
async def read_item(item_id: int):
try:
item = await fetch_item(item_id)
return item
except ItemNotFound:
raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Item not found")
In this example, if fetch_item fails to find the item, it raises an ItemNotFound exception, which
is then caught and handled in the except block.
FastAPI allows you to create custom exception handlers. This offers a way to centralize error
handling logic for various types of exceptions.
@app.exception_handler(HTTPException)
async def http_exception_handler(request: Request, exc: HTTPException):
return JSONResponse(status_code=exc.status_code, content={"detail":
exc.detail})
This custom handler intercepts HTTPException errors, allowing for a consistent response
structure across your API.
In async operations, particularly those involving external requests, it's crucial to handle timeouts.
Implementing timeouts prevents your application from waiting indefinitely on a response.
import httpx
from fastapi import HTTPException
@app.get("/external_data")
async def fetch_external_data():
try:
async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=10.0) as client:
response = await client.get("https://api.example.com/data")
return response.json()
except httpx.ReadTimeout:
raise HTTPException(status_code=408, detail="Request timed out")
In this example, a httpx.ReadTimeout exception is raised if the external request takes longer
than 10 seconds, which is then handled to return a 408 error response.
Testing Asynchronous Code
Testing is a crucial part of developing robust FastAPI applications, especially when dealing with
asynchronous code. Proper testing ensures that your async functions behave as expected.
To start testing your async code, you'll need a test framework compatible with async, such as
pytest. Install it using:
When writing tests for async functions, use the async keyword before your test functions. This
allows you to use await within your tests.
import pytest
from httpx import AsyncClient
from main import app # assuming your FastAPI app is defined in main.py
@pytest.mark.asyncio
async def test_read_item():
async with AsyncClient(app=app, base_url="http://test") as ac:
response = await ac.get("/items/1")
assert response.status_code == 200
This test checks if the /items/1 endpoint returns a 200 status code, using an AsyncClient to
make requests to your FastAPI app.
For testing async database operations, you can use in-memory databases like SQLite. This avoids
affecting your actual database during tests.
@pytest.mark.asyncio
async def test_create_item():
test_item = {"name": "Test Item", "description": "A test item"}
response = await app.post("/items/", json=test_item)
assert response.status_code == 200
assert response.json()["name"] == "Test Item"
This test creates a new item and verifies that it is correctly added to the database.
Yes, you can mix synchronous and asynchronous code in FastAPI. However, to fully leverage
the performance benefits of async, it's recommended to use asynchronous operations wherever
possible.
Common pitfalls include blocking the event loop with synchronous code and improperly
managing async database connections. Ensuring that all operations within an async endpoint
are non-blocking is crucial.
FastAPI's async feature is well-suited for real-time applications like chat apps or live
notifications. Its ability to handle multiple requests simultaneously makes it ideal for such use
cases.
How can I prioritize tasks in a FastAPI async environment for better request handling?
Prioritizing tasks in FastAPI async can be achieved by implementing queue systems or using
async prioritization libraries to manage the order and precedence of task execution based on
business logic.