Simplify the async handling code

Firstly `run_sync` was a misleading name as it didn't run anything,
instead I think `async_to_sync` is much clearer as it converts a
coroutine function to a function. (Name stolen from asgiref).

Secondly trying to run the ensure_sync during registration made the
code more complex and brittle, e.g. the _flask_async_wrapper
usage. This was done to pay any setup costs during registration rather
than runtime, however this only saved a iscoroutne check. It allows
the weirdness of the Blueprint and Scaffold ensure_sync methods to be
removed.

Switching to runtime ensure_sync usage provides a method for
extensions to also support async, as now documented.

docs/async-await.rst

@@ -92,6 +92,21 @@ not work with async views because they will not await the function or be
 awaitable. Other functions they provide will not be awaitable either and
 will probably be blocking if called within an async view.
 
+Extension authors can support async functions by utilising the
+:meth:`flask.Flask.ensure_sync` method. For example, if the extension
+provides a view function decorator add ``ensure_sync`` before calling
+the decorated function,
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    def extension(func):
+        @wraps(func)
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+            ...  # Extension logic
+            return current_app.ensure_sync(func)(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        return wrapper
+
 Check the changelog of the extension you want to use to see if they've
 implemented async support, or make a feature request or PR to them.
 

src/flask/app.py

@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ from .globals import _request_ctx_stack
 from .globals import g
 from .globals import request
 from .globals import session
+from .helpers import async_to_sync
 from .helpers import get_debug_flag
 from .helpers import get_env
 from .helpers import get_flashed_messages
 from .helpers import get_load_dotenv
 from .helpers import locked_cached_property
-from .helpers import run_async
 from .helpers import url_for
 from .json import jsonify
 from .logging import create_logger
@@ -1080,14 +1080,12 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
         self.url_map.add(rule)
         if view_func is not None:
             old_func = self.view_functions.get(endpoint)
-            if getattr(old_func, "_flask_sync_wrapper", False):
-                old_func = old_func.__wrapped__  # type: ignore
             if old_func is not None and old_func != view_func:
                 raise AssertionError(
                     "View function mapping is overwriting an existing"
                     f" endpoint function: {endpoint}"
                 )
-            self.view_functions[endpoint] = self.ensure_sync(view_func)
+            self.view_functions[endpoint] = view_func
 
     @setupmethod
     def template_filter(self, name: t.Optional[str] = None) -> t.Callable:
@@ -1208,7 +1206,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
 
         .. versionadded:: 0.8
         """
-        self.before_first_request_funcs.append(self.ensure_sync(f))
+        self.before_first_request_funcs.append(f)
         return f
 
     @setupmethod
@@ -1241,7 +1239,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
 
         .. versionadded:: 0.9
         """
-        self.teardown_appcontext_funcs.append(self.ensure_sync(f))
+        self.teardown_appcontext_funcs.append(f)
         return f
 
     @setupmethod
@@ -1308,7 +1306,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
         handler = self._find_error_handler(e)
         if handler is None:
             return e
-        return handler(e)
+        return self.ensure_sync(handler)(e)
 
     def trap_http_exception(self, e: Exception) -> bool:
         """Checks if an HTTP exception should be trapped or not.  By default
@@ -1375,7 +1373,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
         if handler is None:
             raise
 
-        return handler(e)
+        return self.ensure_sync(handler)(e)
 
     def handle_exception(self, e: Exception) -> Response:
         """Handle an exception that did not have an error handler
@@ -1422,7 +1420,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
         handler = self._find_error_handler(server_error)
 
         if handler is not None:
-            server_error = handler(server_error)
+            server_error = self.ensure_sync(handler)(server_error)
 
         return self.finalize_request(server_error, from_error_handler=True)
 
@@ -1484,7 +1482,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
         ):
             return self.make_default_options_response()
         # otherwise dispatch to the handler for that endpoint
-        return self.view_functions[rule.endpoint](**req.view_args)
+        return self.ensure_sync(self.view_functions[rule.endpoint])(**req.view_args)
 
     def full_dispatch_request(self) -> Response:
         """Dispatches the request and on top of that performs request
@@ -1545,7 +1543,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
             if self._got_first_request:
                 return
             for func in self.before_first_request_funcs:
-                func()
+                self.ensure_sync(func)()
             self._got_first_request = True
 
     def make_default_options_response(self) -> Response:
@@ -1581,7 +1579,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
         .. versionadded:: 2.0
         """
         if iscoroutinefunction(func):
-            return run_async(func)
+            return async_to_sync(func)
 
         return func
 
@@ -1807,7 +1805,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
             if bp in self.before_request_funcs:
                 funcs = chain(funcs, self.before_request_funcs[bp])
         for func in funcs:
-            rv = func()
+            rv = self.ensure_sync(func)()
             if rv is not None:
                 return rv
 
@@ -1834,7 +1832,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
         if None in self.after_request_funcs:
             funcs = chain(funcs, reversed(self.after_request_funcs[None]))
         for handler in funcs:
-            response = handler(response)
+            response = self.ensure_sync(handler)(response)
         if not self.session_interface.is_null_session(ctx.session):
             self.session_interface.save_session(self, ctx.session, response)
         return response
@@ -1871,7 +1869,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
             if bp in self.teardown_request_funcs:
                 funcs = chain(funcs, reversed(self.teardown_request_funcs[bp]))
         for func in funcs:
-            func(exc)
+            self.ensure_sync(func)(exc)
         request_tearing_down.send(self, exc=exc)
 
     def do_teardown_appcontext(
@@ -1894,7 +1892,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
         if exc is _sentinel:
             exc = sys.exc_info()[1]
         for func in reversed(self.teardown_appcontext_funcs):
-            func(exc)
+            self.ensure_sync(func)(exc)
         appcontext_tearing_down.send(self, exc=exc)
 
     def app_context(self) -> AppContext:

src/flask/blueprints.py

@@ -292,13 +292,10 @@ class Blueprint(Scaffold):
         # Merge blueprint data into parent.
         if first_registration:
 
-            def extend(bp_dict, parent_dict, ensure_sync=False):
+            def extend(bp_dict, parent_dict):
                 for key, values in bp_dict.items():
                     key = self.name if key is None else f"{self.name}.{key}"
 
-                    if ensure_sync:
-                        values = [app.ensure_sync(func) for func in values]
-
                     parent_dict[key].extend(values)
 
             for key, value in self.error_handler_spec.items():
@@ -307,8 +304,7 @@ class Blueprint(Scaffold):
                     dict,
                     {
                         code: {
-                            exc_class: app.ensure_sync(func)
-                            for exc_class, func in code_values.items()
+                            exc_class: func for exc_class, func in code_values.items()
                         }
                         for code, code_values in value.items()
                     },
@@ -316,16 +312,13 @@ class Blueprint(Scaffold):
                 app.error_handler_spec[key] = value
 
             for endpoint, func in self.view_functions.items():
-                app.view_functions[endpoint] = app.ensure_sync(func)
+                app.view_functions[endpoint] = func
 
-            extend(
-                self.before_request_funcs, app.before_request_funcs, ensure_sync=True
-            )
-            extend(self.after_request_funcs, app.after_request_funcs, ensure_sync=True)
+            extend(self.before_request_funcs, app.before_request_funcs)
+            extend(self.after_request_funcs, app.after_request_funcs)
             extend(
                 self.teardown_request_funcs,
                 app.teardown_request_funcs,
-                ensure_sync=True,
             )
             extend(self.url_default_functions, app.url_default_functions)
             extend(self.url_value_preprocessors, app.url_value_preprocessors)
@@ -478,9 +471,7 @@ class Blueprint(Scaffold):
         before each request, even if outside of a blueprint.
         """
         self.record_once(
-            lambda s: s.app.before_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(
-                s.app.ensure_sync(f)
-            )
+            lambda s: s.app.before_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(f)
         )
         return f
 
@@ -490,9 +481,7 @@ class Blueprint(Scaffold):
         """Like :meth:`Flask.before_first_request`.  Such a function is
         executed before the first request to the application.
         """
-        self.record_once(
-            lambda s: s.app.before_first_request_funcs.append(s.app.ensure_sync(f))
-        )
+        self.record_once(lambda s: s.app.before_first_request_funcs.append(f))
         return f
 
     def after_app_request(self, f: AfterRequestCallable) -> AfterRequestCallable:
@@ -500,9 +489,7 @@ class Blueprint(Scaffold):
         is executed after each request, even if outside of the blueprint.
         """
         self.record_once(
-            lambda s: s.app.after_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(
-                s.app.ensure_sync(f)
-            )
+            lambda s: s.app.after_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(f)
         )
         return f
 
@@ -553,14 +540,3 @@ class Blueprint(Scaffold):
             lambda s: s.app.url_default_functions.setdefault(None, []).append(f)
         )
         return f
-
-    def ensure_sync(self, f: t.Callable) -> t.Callable:
-        """Ensure the function is synchronous.
-
-        Override if you would like custom async to sync behaviour in
-        this blueprint. Otherwise the app's
-        :meth:`~flask.Flask.ensure_sync` is used.
-
-        .. versionadded:: 2.0
-        """
-        return f

src/flask/helpers.py

@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import typing as t
 import warnings
 from datetime import timedelta
 from functools import update_wrapper
-from functools import wraps
 from threading import RLock
 
 import werkzeug.utils
@@ -803,10 +802,15 @@ def is_ip(value: str) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
-def run_async(func: t.Callable[..., t.Coroutine]) -> t.Callable[..., t.Any]:
-    """Return a sync function that will run the coroutine function *func*."""
+def async_to_sync(func: t.Callable[..., t.Coroutine]) -> t.Callable[..., t.Any]:
+    """Return a sync function that will run the coroutine function *func*.
+
+    This can be used as so
+
+        result = async_to_async(func)(*args, **kwargs)
+    """
     try:
-        from asgiref.sync import async_to_sync
+        from asgiref.sync import async_to_sync as asgiref_async_to_sync
     except ImportError:
         raise RuntimeError(
             "Install Flask with the 'async' extra in order to use async views."
@@ -818,9 +822,4 @@ def run_async(func: t.Callable[..., t.Coroutine]) -> t.Callable[..., t.Any]:
             "Async cannot be used with this combination of Python & Greenlet versions."
         )
 
-    @wraps(func)
-    def wrapper(*args: t.Any, **kwargs: t.Any) -> t.Any:
-        return async_to_sync(func)(*args, **kwargs)
-
-    wrapper._flask_sync_wrapper = True  # type: ignore
-    return wrapper
+    return asgiref_async_to_sync(func)

src/flask/scaffold.py

@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ class Scaffold:
         """
 
         def decorator(f):
-            self.view_functions[endpoint] = self.ensure_sync(f)
+            self.view_functions[endpoint] = f
             return f
 
         return decorator
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ class Scaffold:
         return value from the view, and further request handling is
         stopped.
         """
-        self.before_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(self.ensure_sync(f))
+        self.before_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(f)
         return f
 
     @setupmethod
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ class Scaffold:
         should not be used for actions that must execute, such as to
         close resources. Use :meth:`teardown_request` for that.
         """
-        self.after_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(self.ensure_sync(f))
+        self.after_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(f)
         return f
 
     @setupmethod
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ class Scaffold:
            debugger can still access it.  This behavior can be controlled
            by the ``PRESERVE_CONTEXT_ON_EXCEPTION`` configuration variable.
         """
-        self.teardown_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(self.ensure_sync(f))
+        self.teardown_request_funcs.setdefault(None, []).append(f)
         return f
 
     @setupmethod
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ class Scaffold:
                 " instead."
             )
 
-        self.error_handler_spec[None][code][exc_class] = self.ensure_sync(f)
+        self.error_handler_spec[None][code][exc_class] = f
 
     @staticmethod
     def _get_exc_class_and_code(
@@ -734,9 +734,6 @@ class Scaffold:
         else:
             return exc_class, None
 
-    def ensure_sync(self, func: t.Callable) -> t.Callable:
-        raise NotImplementedError()
-
 
 def _endpoint_from_view_func(view_func: t.Callable) -> str:
     """Internal helper that returns the default endpoint for a given

tests/test_async.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import pytest
 from flask import Blueprint
 from flask import Flask
 from flask import request
-from flask.helpers import run_async
+from flask.helpers import async_to_sync
 
 pytest.importorskip("asgiref")
 
@@ -137,4 +137,4 @@ def test_async_before_after_request():
 @pytest.mark.skipif(sys.version_info >= (3, 7), reason="should only raise Python < 3.7")
 def test_async_runtime_error():
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
-        run_async(None)
+        async_to_sync(None)