Asynchronous input/output

Asynchronous refers to uncoordinated (unsynchronized) communication operations. In the context of input/output operations, data does not have to be transmitted in a steady stream. This is a technique that we can use in Java to allow our programs to handle input and output operations without blocking the main thread’s execution. While it may not always be necessary to employ this technique, it can offer great performance advantages when dealing with systems that rely on high responsiveness and performance.

For brevity, let’s refer to asynchronous input/output using the AIO acronym. With AIO, we can initiate processes and then have them run independently, which allows our main application to continue running other processes. Consider the synchronous alternative, where the main application must wait for one operation to complete before running another one. The synchronous approach can result in latency, longer response times, and other inefficiencies...