How do I integrate asyncio with libraries that block?

Integrating asyncio with blocking libraries in Python can be challenging, as blocking calls can prevent the event loop from executing other tasks. To address this, you can use thread pools or run blocking functions in separate threads to not block the event loop. Below is an example of how to do this.

Keywords: asyncio, blocking libraries, thread pool, Python, async programming, concurrency
Description: This article explains how to integrate asyncio with blocking libraries in Python, using thread pools to avoid blocking the event loop and maintain concurrency in your application.
import asyncio
import concurrent.futures

# Simulated blocking function
def blocking_io():
    print("Start blocking I/O operation...")
    time.sleep(5)  # Simulate a long I/O operation
    print("Blocking I/O operation complete.")

async def main():
    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
    
    # Run blocking I/O in executor to avoid blocking the event loop
    with concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor() as pool:
        await loop.run_in_executor(pool, blocking_io)

# Run the async main function
if __name__ == '__main__':
    asyncio.run(main())
        

Keywords: asyncio blocking libraries thread pool Python async programming concurrency