KITFORMA · EDITORIAL GUIDE
Why can asyncio.wait_for take longer than its timeout?
KitForma editorial guide. The timeout triggers cancellation, but `wait_for` can then wait for the awaited operation to finish cancelling. Slow cleanup or swallowed cancellation extends elapsed time.
Step-by-step guidance
The timeout triggers cancellation, but
wait_for can then wait for the awaited operation to finish cancelling. Slow cleanup or swallowed cancellation extends elapsed time.
Measure both the operation duration and its cancellation path. Keep cleanup bounded and propagate CancelledError correctly. Test a coroutine with a deliberate cleanup delay to distinguish timeout signalling from actual completion. Do not use shield merely to hide the delay: shielding changes who owns unfinished work and may leave it running. A timeout around a thread also does not forcibly stop that thread. Choose separate connection, read and overall deadlines where the underlying client supports them.Sources and verification
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