ValueTask vs Task

First of all, let me say that ValueTask was introduced in C# for a very specific scenario, when a method can return a result either synchronously or asynchronously. For example, let’s imagine a method with a few execution paths: using an "if" or a "switch" statement (it really doesn’t matter). At least one execution path must return the result synchronously (for example, a cached value or a constant returned due to business logic or validation failure). And, of course, there should also be an execution path that returns the result asynchronously (for example, from a network call or a service, etc.). For example:

Example of the method

In most cases, the cache exists, and because of this, the synchronous part of the code is executed. And this is where ValueTask comes into play.