Heap allocations aren’t entirely bad, but when an object is allocated on a heap, it contributes to the garbage collection cycles, which in turn reduces overall application performance. Introduction One approach to optimizing resource usage in async code is by using ValueTask<TResult> syntax to minimize heap allocations, which in turn reduces pressure on garbage collection and enhances overall performance. Learning Objectives The Problem with Heap Allocations Optimizing with ValueTask<TResult> When to Use ValueTask<TResult> Prerequisites for Developers Basic understanding of C# programming language. Getting Started Heap allocations aren’t entirely bad, but when an object is allocated on a heap, it contributes to the garbage collection cycles, which in turn reduces overall application performance. In the case of excessive heap allocation, the garbage collector can cause GC pauses. Bad Practice: Excessive Use of Task<TResult> Let’s consider a common asynchronous pattern that developers commonly use: public async Task<string> ReadDataAsync() { var data = await ReadFromStreamAsync(_stream); return ProcessData(data); } If the above-mentioned method is called more frequently, each request results in a new Task instance being allocated on heap memory. Over time, it leads to increased garbage collection overhead. Optimizing with ValueTask<TResult> By changing the return type from Task<TResult> to ValueTask<TResult>, we can reduce heap allocations public async ValueTask<string> ReadDataAsync() { var data = await ReadFromStreamAsync(_stream); return ProcessData(data); } The aforementioned optimization is beneficial for high-frequency async operations or methods that are expected to complete synchronously in a significant portion of time. When to Use ValueTask<TResult> High-frequency methods Performance-sensitive code Methods that often complete synchronously Create another class named TaskVsValueTask and add the following code snippet public static class TaskVsValueTask { public static async Task<string> FetchDataAsync() { // Simulate a delay to mimic fetching data await Task.Delay(1000); return "Data fetched using Task"; } public static async ValueTask<string> FetchDataValueTaskAsync() { // Simulate a delay to mimic fetching data await Task.Delay(1000); // Note: Use Task.Delay for the sake of example. return "Data fetched using ValueTask"; } } Execute from the main method as follows #region Day 20: Task vs. Value Task static async Task<string> ExecuteDay20() { Console.WriteLine("Fetching data with Task..."); string result = await TaskVsValueTask.FetchDataAsync(); Console.WriteLine(result); Console.WriteLine("Fetching data with ValueTask..."); string resultValueTask = await TaskVsValueTask.FetchDataValueTaskAsync(); Console.WriteLine(resultValueTask); return "Executed Day 20 successfully..!!"; } #endregion Console Output Fetching data with Task... Data fetched using Task Fetching data with ValueTask... Data fetched using ValueTask Complete Code on GitHub GitHub — ssukhpinder/30DayChallenge.Net C# Programming🚀 Thank you for being a part of the C# community! Before you leave: Follow us: | | | Visit our other platforms: . Youtube X LinkedIn Dev.to GitHub More content at C# Programming