Consequences of Returning vs. Awaiting at the End of an Async Method

In an async method that returns a Task, you have two options for handling subsequent async calls:

Option A: Return the Task Directly

Task FooAsync()
{
    return BazAsync();
}

Option B: Await the Task and Return

async Task BarAsync()
{
    await BazAsync();
}

Consequences of Option A (Returning Directly)

• Advantage: Requires less boilerplate code and creates one fewer task.
• Disadvantage: Exceptions thrown within the synchronous method will be delivered synchronously.

This option is suitable if your method performs a small amount of synchronous work and then calls a single async method.

Consequences of Option B (Await and Return)

• Advantage: Exceptions will be handled asynchronously.
• Disadvantage: More verbose code and creates an additional task.

This option is preferable if:

• Your method needs to perform additional asynchronous operations after calling BazAsync().
• You want to handle exceptions raised in the asynchronous method asynchronously.

Note: You cannot return a task directly if the method itself is declared as async. This would result in a return type of Task, which is not allowed.

In summary, the decision between returning directly or awaiting depends on the specific needs of your method. Consider the code structure, the potential for exceptions, and the desired behavior of your application when making this choice.