Kotlin Coroutines

An introduction to Kotlin coroutines

1. Kotlin Coroutines Wolfram Rittmeyer
2. What are Coroutines @RittmeyerW
3. “Essentially, coroutines are light-weight threads” @RittmeyerW https://kotlinlang.org/docs/reference/coroutines/basics.html
4. Why concurrency? @RittmeyerW
5. Why concurrency? • Support multiple clients (e.g. server) • React to user input while doing other tasks (UI) • Faster process results (fork/join) • And so on @RittmeyerW
6. Concurrency != Threads • Concurrency possible without threads • See JS which runs (mostly) on one thread • For Java think of NIO / NIO.2 • Really needed only for heavy computation @RittmeyerW
7. Concurrency approaches • Communication via shared state • Callbacks • Futures / Promises • Reactive Extensions • Coroutines @RittmeyerW
8. Blocking solution private fun firstTask(): String { log("about to create the task...") Thread.sleep(500) log("task is created...") return "The answer to life, universe and everything" } @RittmeyerW
9. Blocking solution fun runTasks() { log("blocking solution") val task = firstTask() val result = secondTask(task) log(result) } @RittmeyerW
10. Solution with callbacks private fun firstTask(callback: (String) -> Unit) { log("about to create the task...") thread { Thread.sleep(500) log("task is created...") callback("The answer to life, universe and everything") } } @RittmeyerW
11. Solution with callbacks fun runTasks() { log("using callbacks") firstTask { task -> secondTask(task) { result -> log(result) } } } @RittmeyerW
12. Solution with futures private fun firstTask(): CompletableFuture<String> { log("about to create the task...") val future = CompletableFuture<String>() thread { Thread.sleep(500) log("task is created...") future.complete("The answer to life, universe and everything") } return future } @RittmeyerW
13. Solution with futures fun runTasks() { firstTask() .thenCompose { task -> secondTask(task) } .thenAccept { result -> log(result) } } @RittmeyerW
14. Solution with coroutines private suspend fun firstTask(): String { log("about to create the task...") delay(500) log("task is created...") return "The answer to life, universe and everything" } @RittmeyerW
15. Solution with coroutines fun runTasks() = runBlocking { launch { val firstResult = firstTask() val secondResult = secondTask(firstResult) log(secondResult) } } @RittmeyerW
16. Coroutines concepts @RittmeyerW
17. Suspending Functions • Special modifier suspend • Contains suspension points • That’s where execution pauses • And resumes after the work is done – Details later on :-) @RittmeyerW
18. Suspending Functions suspend fun createTask(): String { log("about to create the task...") delay(500) log("task is created...") return "The answer to life, universe and everything" } @RittmeyerW
19. Suspending Functions suspend fun createTask(): String { log("about to create the task...") delay(500) log("task is created...") return "The answer to life, universe and everything" } @RittmeyerW
20. Suspending Functions fun createTask(): String { log("about to create the task...") delay(500) log("task is created...") return "The answer to life, universe and everything" } @RittmeyerW
23. Coroutine Builders • Creates coroutine • Needed to call suspending functions • Expects a suspending lambda • Standard builders: – runBlocking, launch and async @RittmeyerW
24. Coroutine Builders - runBlocking fun main() { runBlocking { // do some stuff suspendingly: delay(500) println("after delay") // do something else; suspendingly or not } println("after runBlocking will be printed") } @RittmeyerW
25. Coroutine Builders - launch val job = launch { val firstResult = firstTask() val secondResult = secondTask(firstResult) log(secondResult) } // job.join() @RittmeyerW
26. Coroutine Builders - async suspend fun asyncSample() = coroutineScope { val deferred1 = async { someTaskAsync() } val deferred2 = async { someOtherTaskAsync() } deferred1 == deferred2 } @RittmeyerW
27. Coroutine Scopes • Builders are extensions of it – With the exception of runBlocking • Define the scope for coroutines @RittmeyerW
28. Coroutine Scopes • Should match lifecycle of your objects – On Android: Activity/Fragment – On Backend: One request • GlobalScope should be used sparingly @RittmeyerW
29. Coroutine Scopes public interface CoroutineScope { public val coroutineContext: CoroutineContext } @RittmeyerW
30. Coroutine Scopes class SomeActivity : AppCompatActivity(), CoroutineScope { lateinit var job: Job override val coroutineContext: CoroutineContext get() = Dispatchers.Main + job override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState) job = Job() } // … onDestroy() on next slide } @RittmeyerW
31. Coroutine Scopes class SomeActivity : AppCompatActivity() { private val job = Job() private var uiScope = CoroutineScope(job + Dispatchers.Main) override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState) uiScope.launch { // call suspending functions } } // ... onDestroy() on next slide } @RittmeyerW
32. Coroutine Scopes class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() { private val job = Job() private var uiScope = CoroutineScope(job + Dispatchers.Main) // ... onCreate() on previous slide override fun onDestroy() { super.onDestroy() job.cancel() } } @RittmeyerW
33. Jobs • Provide access to state of coroutine • Provide possibility to cancel • Arranged in parent child hierarchies • Can be joined to other jobs @RittmeyerW
34. Dispatcher • Define the threading strategy • For most use cases predefined ones: – Default – Main / Main.immediate – Unconfined – IO @RittmeyerW
35. Dispatcher • Use with builders – launch(Dispatchers.IO) { … } • Switch when needed – withContext(Dispatchers.IO) { … } • newSingleThreadContext("specialThread") @RittmeyerW
36. Cancelling coroutines @RittmeyerW
37. Cancelling coroutines • Cancelling one job cancels all its childrens • For time based cancellation use – withTimeout(delayInMs) – withTimeoutOrNull(delayInMs) @RittmeyerW
38. Cooperative Cancellation • Suspending functions have to support cancellation • Standard library functions support it • But others? Your own? – Be careful! @RittmeyerW
39. Error handling @RittmeyerW
40. Depends on the Coroutine builder • launch • async @RittmeyerW
41. Depends on scope • If needed: Use different scope • Consider using SupervisorJob – Children fail independently @RittmeyerW
42. ExceptionHandlers val exceptionHandler: CoroutineExceptionHandler = CoroutineExceptionHandler { ctx, exception -> println("exception in handler: $exception - $ctx") exception.printStackTrace() } // ... val scope = CoroutineScope( Dispatchers.Unconfined + job + exceptionHandler ) @RittmeyerW
43. Testing @RittmeyerW
44. Replace Dispatchers • Inject dispatchers (IO / Main) • Replace them in tests with Unconfined @RittmeyerW
45. Use KotlinTest • Spec methods are suspending • Thus no need for runBlocking • Or GlobalScope.async { … } @RittmeyerW
46. And / Or use mockk • Great support for mocking with coroutines • coEvery { definition } returns someObject • coVerify someObject shouldBe expected @RittmeyerW
47. Interoperability @RittmeyerW
48. Coroutines and Java • Compiler cannot manipulate Java code • Thus no direct coroutines usage from Java • Interoperability of shared concepts @RittmeyerW
49. Integrations @RittmeyerW
50. Coroutines and futures • Integrates with CompletableFuture • Only JDK8 API (Android: SDK 24) – CompletionStage.await() – CompletionStage.asDeferred() – Deferred.asCompletableFuture() – future CoroutineBuilder @RittmeyerW
51. Use futures within coroutines • Easily convert existing futures val res = someFuture().await() log(res) @RittmeyerW
52. Convert coroutines to futures • Easily create a future fun asFuture(): CompletableFuture<Int> = future { val firstResult = firstTask() val secondResult = secondTask(firstResult) secondResult } @RittmeyerW
53. Wrap a custom API fun startApiWithCallback(): Deferred<Result> { val deferred = CompletableDeferred<Result>() someApiWithCallback { result -> if (deferred.isActive) { deferred.complete(result) } } return deferred } @RittmeyerW
54. Wrap a custom API suspend fun startApiWithCallback(): String = suspendCancellableCoroutine { continuation -> continuation.invokeOnCancellation { // cancel api call... } println("starting with continuation...") callApiWithContinuation(continuation) } @RittmeyerW
55. Wrap a custom API private fun callApiWithContinuation( continuation: CancellableContinuation<String>) { someApiWithCallback { result -> if (continuation.isActive) { when (result) { is Result.Success -> continuation.resume(result.success) is Result.Error -> continuation.resumeWithException(result.error) } } } } @RittmeyerW
56. Implementation details @RittmeyerW
57. Continuations • Expect a result after the suspension ends • Are heavily used internally @RittmeyerW
58. Continuations public interface Continuation<in T> { public val context: CoroutineContext public fun resumeWith(result: Result<T>) } public inline fun <T> Continuation<T>.resume(value: T): Unit = resumeWith(Result.success(value)) public inline fun <T> Continuation<T>.resumeWithException(exception: Throwable): Unit = resumeWith(Result.failure(exception)) @RittmeyerW
59. Continuations public interface Continuation<in T> { public val context: CoroutineContext public fun resumeWith(result: Result<T>) } public inline fun <T> Continuation<T>.resume(value: T): Unit = resumeWith(Result.success(value)) public inline fun <T> Continuation<T>.resumeWithException(exception: Throwable): Unit = resumeWith(Result.failure(exception)) @RittmeyerW
60. Base code @RittmeyerW suspend fun sampleFunction() { println("do something") delay(1_000) println("done with something") }
61. Injection of function argument • Compiler modifies signature: – Additional function argument • of type Continuation – Different return type • It’s now always Any (Object) @RittmeyerW
62. Injection of function argument @RittmeyerW public final Object sampleFunction(@NotNull Continuation var1) { println("do something") delay(1_000) // suspension point println("done with something") }
64. State machine • State machine used for task switching • Implemented by compiler @RittmeyerW
65. Sample code continued @RittmeyerW public final Object sampleFunction(@NotNull Continuation var1) { println("do something") delay(1_000) // suspension point println("done with something") }
66. Continuation object of sample @RittmeyerW $continuation = new ContinuationImpl(var1) { Object result; int label; Object L$0; @Nullable public final Object invokeSuspend(@NotNull Object result) { this.result = result; this.label |= Integer.MIN_VALUE; return SourceSampleSuspendingFunction.this.sampleFunction(this); } };
69. Simplified sample code @RittmeyerW fun sampleFunction(continuation: Continuation<Int>) : Any { val myContinuation = continuation as $continuation when (myContinuation.label) { // ... } println("done with something") return Unit }
70. Simplified sample code @RittmeyerW when (myContinuation.label) { 0 -> { println("do something") val res = delay(1_000, continuation) if (res == COROUTINE_SUSPENDED) { myContinuation.label = 1 return COROUTINE_SUSPENDED } } 1 -> { // error handling omitted for brevity // proper return values would be stored } else -> throw IllegalStateException("something went wrong") }
71. Cooperative multitasking • Mostly implemented by the compiler • Coroutines use cooperative multitasking • Be careful with blocking threads @RittmeyerW
72. Q & A Slide Design by free-powerpoint-templates.com @RittmeyerW