⚡ Unblock event loop by using async file I/O in IPC handlers#3
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Converts synchronous file reads (`fs.readFileSync`) and access checks (`fs.accessSync`) in the `IpcMessages.REQUEST_PLATFORMS_AVAILABLE` handler to their asynchronous Promise-based equivalents. This prevents blocking the Node.js event loop in the Electron main process, improving application responsiveness, particularly when checking for available games on custom platforms or Linux environments. Co-authored-by: Er1ckW <[email protected]>
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⚡ Performance Improvement
💡 What:
Refactored the callback for
ipcMain.handle(IpcMessages.REQUEST_PLATFORMS_AVAILABLE, ...)to useasync/await. Replaced synchronous file I/O methods:fs.readFileSync(used to check the Linux Steam registry file) was replaced withawait fs.promises.readFile.fs.accessSync(used to check for the existence of custom platform executables) was replaced withawait fs.promises.access.🎯 Why:
Synchronous operations in Electron's main process block the event loop, causing the application UI to hang or become unresponsive. When loading multiple game platforms or reading large files, these blocking reads add perceptible delays. Converting them to asynchronous operations allows the event loop to continue processing other IPC messages and UI updates while waiting for the filesystem.
📊 Measured Improvement:
Before implementing this change, a focused benchmark was created to measure event loop lag caused by repeated synchronous reads.
Benchmark Setup:
Measuring event loop lag while attempting to sequentially read files, mimicking the iteration over custom platforms in the handler.
By migrating to
fs.promises, the event loop lag for these operations is effectively eliminated, representing a significant unblocking of the main thread.PR created automatically by Jules for task 7114442595535708730 started by @Er1ckW