
async-io-model
Explanations of common asynchronous patterns used in tursodb. Involves IOResult, state machines, re-entrancy pitfalls, CompletionGroup. Always use these patterns in core when doing anything IO
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/tursodatabase/turso --skill async-io-model- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads async-io-model automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Async I/O Model Guide
Turso uses cooperative yielding with explicit state machines instead of Rust async/await.
Core Types
pub enum IOCompletions {
Single(Completion),
}
#[must_use]
pub enum IOResult<T> {
Done(T), // Operation complete, here's the result
IO(IOCompletions), // Need I/O, call me again after completions finish
}
Functions returning IOResult must be called repeatedly until Done.
Completion and CompletionGroup
A Completion tracks a single I/O operation:
pub struct Completion { /* ... */ }
impl Completion {
pub fn finished(&self) -> bool;
pub fn succeeded(&self) -> bool;
pub fn get_error(&self) -> Option<CompletionError>;
}
To wait for multiple I/O operations, use CompletionGroup:
let mut group = CompletionGroup::new(|_| {});
// Add individual completions
group.add(&completion1);
group.add(&completion2);
// Build into single completion that finishes when all complete
let combined = group.build();
io_yield_one!(combined);
CompletionGroup features:
- Aggregates multiple completions into one
- Calls callback when all complete (or any errors)
- Can nest groups (add a group's completion to another group)
- Cancellable via
group.cancel()
Helper Macros
return_if_io!
Unwraps IOResult, propagates IO variant up the call stack:
let result = return_if_io!(some_io_operation());
// Only reaches here if operation returned Done
io_yield_one!
Yields a single completion:
io_yield_one!(completion); // Returns Ok(IOResult::IO(Single(completion)))
State Machine Pattern
Operations that may yield use explicit state enums:
enum MyOperationState {
Start,
WaitingForRead { page: PageRef },
Processing { data: Vec<u8> },
Done,
}
The function loops, matching on state and transitioning:
fn my_operation(&mut self) -> Result<IOResult<Output>> {
loop {
match &mut self.state {
MyOperationState::Start => {
let (page, completion) = start_read();
self.state = MyOperationState::WaitingForRead { page };
io_yield_one!(completion);
}
MyOperationState::WaitingForRead { page } => {
let data = page.get_contents();
self.state = MyOperationState::Processing { data: data.to_vec() };
// No yield, continue loop
}
MyOperationState::Processing { data } => {
let result = process(data);
self.state = MyOperationState::Done;
return Ok(IOResult::Done(result));
}
MyOperationState::Done => unreachable!(),
}
}
}
Re-Entrancy: The Critical Pitfall
State mutations before yield points cause bugs on re-entry.
Wrong
fn bad_example(&mut self) -> Result<IOResult<()>> {
self.counter += 1; // Mutates state
return_if_io!(something_that_might_yield()); // If yields, re-entry will increment again!
Ok(IOResult::Done(()))
}
If something_that_might_yield() returns IO, caller waits for completion, then calls bad_example() again. counter gets incremented twice (or more).
Correct: Mutate After Yield
fn good_example(&mut self) -> Result<IOResult<()>> {
return_if_io!(something_that_might_yield());
self.counter += 1; // Only reached once, after IO completes
Ok(IOResult::Done(()))
}
Correct: Use State Machine
enum State { Start, AfterIO }
fn good_example(&mut self) -> Result<IOResult<()>> {
loop {
match self.state {
State::Start => {
// Don't mutate shared state here
self.state = State::AfterIO;
return_if_io!(something_that_might_yield());
}
State::AfterIO => {
self.counter += 1; // Safe: only entered once
return Ok(IOResult::Done(()));
}
}
}
}
Common Re-Entrancy Bugs
| Pattern | Problem |
|---|---|
vec.push(x); return_if_io!(...) | Vec grows on each re-entry |
idx += 1; return_if_io!(...) | Index advances multiple times |
map.insert(k,v); return_if_io!(...) | Duplicate inserts or overwrites |
flag = true; return_if_io!(...) | Usually ok, but check logic |
State Enum Design
Encode progress in state variants:
// Good: index is part of state, preserved across yields
enum ProcessState {
Start,
ProcessingItem { idx: usize, items: Vec<Item> },
Done,
}
// Loop advances idx only when transitioning states
ProcessingItem { idx, items } => {
return_if_io!(process_item(&items[idx]));
if idx + 1 < items.len() {
self.state = ProcessingItem { idx: idx + 1, items };
} else {
self.state = Done;
}
}
Turso Implementation
Key files:
core/types.rs-IOResult,IOCompletions,return_if_io!,return_and_restore_if_io!core/io/completions.rs-Completion,CompletionGroupcore/util.rs-io_yield_one!macrocore/state_machine.rs- GenericStateMachinewrappercore/storage/btree.rs- Many state machine examplescore/storage/pager.rs-CompletionGroupusage examples
Testing Async Code
Re-entrancy bugs often only manifest under specific IO timing. Use:
- Deterministic simulation (
testing/simulator/) - Whopper concurrent DST (
testing/concurrent-simulator/) - Fault injection to force yields at different points
References
docs/manual.mdsection on I/O
FAQ
What does the async-io-model skill do?
Explanations of common asynchronous patterns used in tursodb. Involves IOResult, state machines, re-entrancy pitfalls, CompletionGroup. Always use these patterns in core when doing anything IO
How do I install async-io-model?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/tursodatabase/turso --skill async-io-model in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/async-io-model/ (personal) or .claude/skills/async-io-model/ (project).
Which AI agents can use async-io-model?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is async-io-model safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains async-io-model?
It is published by tursodatabase in tursodatabase/turso. It has 1,273 recorded installs.
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