Why is the "await" keyword important in asynchronous function execution?

The significance of the "await" keyword in asynchronous programming lies in its ability to simplify promise handling by effectively pausing the execution of an asynchronous function until the promise is resolved. When "await" is used in front of a promise, it pauses the execution of the function and waits for the promise to either fulfill or reject. This results in a more readable and linear code structure, as it allows developers to write asynchronous code that looks synchronous.

By using "await," errors can be dealt with in a straightforward manner, typically using try-catch blocks, without the complexity of managing multiple .then() and .catch() calls associated with standard promise handling. This leads to cleaner code and reduces the potential for errors that can arise from callback hell or deeply nested promises.

In summary, the "await" keyword is vital because it streamlines the process of working with asynchronous operations, making the code easier to understand and maintain, which is particularly beneficial in application development that involves complex asynchronous workflows.