What is the purpose of using cooperative multitasking in Python?

Cooperative multitasking in Python is used for efficient management of multiple tasks without the need to create separate threads or processes. Unlike preemptive multitasking with interrupts, cooperative multitasking assumes that tasks voluntarily yield control, reducing overhead and simplifying synchronization.

The goal is to improve the performance and responsiveness of programs, especially when working with input/output, by allowing one task to pause and transfer control to another without blocking the entire execution thread.

An example using generators:

def task1():
    for i in range(3):
        print(f"Task 1 - step {i}")
        yield

def task2():
    for i in range(3):
        print(f"Task 2 - step {i}")
        yield

# Cooperative switching
t1 = task1()
t2 = task2()

for _ in range(3):
    next(t1)
    next(t2)

Here, tasks manage their switching themselves, which is the essence of cooperative multitasking.