Multi threading? Concurrency? Asynchronous task? GCD (Grand Central Dispatch) ? in Swift Programming

Introduction of Grand Central Dispatch

Grand central dispatch is the powerful api for multitasking with sync and async programming in iOS.

Grand Central Dispatch (GCD) is a low-level API for managing concurrent operations. It will make your application smooth and more responsive. Also helps for improving application performance. Sometimes we are trying to perform multiple tasks at the same time that time most of the developer-facing application hang or freezing issue this is the common issue. That’s why we are using GCD to manage multiple tasks at the same time.

DispatchQueue
The DispatchQueue API like a company 🏢..Who having staff units like junior level and senior level workers 👷🏼‍. So now the company can take both heavy and light work with 
there team.

DispatchQueue.main.async {
     // Perform your async code here

}

Concurrenct- It’s starting multiple tasks at the same time but not guarantee for the finish at same time. Its can finish any order.

Serial- It’s executing one task at a time.

Sync vs Async


Sync - When a work item is executed synchronously with the sync method, the program waits until execution finishes before the method call returns.


Code Example Sync


func syncWork(){
        let northZone = DispatchQueue(label: "perform_task_with_team_north")
        let southZone = DispatchQueue(label: "perform_task_with_team_south")
        
        northZone.sync {
            for numer in 1...3{ print("North \(numer)")}
        }
        southZone.sync {
            for numer in 1...3{ print("South \(numer)") }
        }
    }
    
    //Call Func here 
    syncWork()
    
//Output
//    North 1
//    North 2
//    North 3
//    South 1
//    South 2
//    South 3

Async - execute asynchronously with the async method, the method call returns immediately.


Code Example Async

func asyncWork(){
        let northZone = DispatchQueue(label: "perform_task_with_team_north")
        let southZone = DispatchQueue(label: "perform_task_with_team_south")
        
        northZone.async {
            for numer in 1...3{ print("North \(numer)") }
        }
        southZone.async {
            for numer in 1...3{ print("South \(numer)") }
        }
    }

//Call Async Task
asyncWork()

//OutPut 
//    North 1
//    South 1
//    North 2
//    South 2
//    North 3

//    South 3

Perform network task with UI updates -

Global Queue -Using to perform non-UI work in the background.

Main Queue -Using to update the UI after completing work in a task on a concurrent queue.

List of DispatchQueue Priority -

.userInteractive
.userInitiated
.default
.utility
.background

.unspecified

Perform background Quality of Service (QOS) task -

DispatchQueue.global(qos: .background).async { 
    // Call your background task
    DispatchQueue.main.async { 
       // UI Updates here for task complete.
    }

}

DispatchQueue with delay ⏳

let deadlineTime = DispatchTime.now() + .seconds(1)
DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: deadlineTime) {
    //Perform code here

}

Dispatch Groups 👨‍👨‍👦‍👦

let dispatchGroup = DispatchGroup()

dispatchGroup.enter()
loadUseractivities { dispatchGroup.leave() }

dispatchGroup.enter()
loaduserComments { dispatchGroup.leave() }

dispatchGroup.notify(queue: .main) {
    print("all activities complete ")

}