Why are asynchronous calls used in programming?

Asynchronous calls allow operations to be performed without blocking the main thread of the program. This is especially important for tasks that take a long time, such as network requests or file reading.

Advantages of asynchrony:

• Improved application responsiveness (e.g., UI does not freeze).
• Ability to perform multiple tasks in parallel.
• Efficient use of resources, as the program does not idle while waiting.

Example in Java using CompletableFuture:

CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> {
    // Long operation
    return fetchDataFromNetwork();
}).thenAccept(data -> {
    System.out.println("Data received: " + data);
});

Here, the main thread is not blocked while fetchDataFromNetwork is executing.