This will be especially useful when you use it in a **large code base** where you use **the same dependencies** over and over again in **many *path operations***.

## To `async` or not to `async`

As dependencies will also be called by **FastAPI** (the same as your *path operation functions*), the same rules apply while defining your functions.

query_or_cookie_extractor(["query_or_cookie_extractor"])

read_query["/items/"]

query_extractor --> query_or_cookie_extractor --> read_query
```

## Using the same dependency multiple times

If one of your dependencies is declared multiple times for the same *path operation*, for example, multiple dependencies have a common sub-dependency, **FastAPI** will know to call that sub-dependency only once per request.

http://127.0.0.1:8000/items/
```

would be the same as going to:

```
http://127.0.0.1:8000/items/?skip=0&limit=10
```

But if you go to, for example:

```
http://127.0.0.1:8000/items/?skip=20
```

The parameter values in your function will be:

* `skip=20`: because you set it in the URL
* `limit=10`: because that was the default value

## Optional parameters

    !!! tip
        Prefer to use the `Annotated` version if possible.

    ```Python hl_lines="17"
    {!> ../../../docs_src/dependencies/tutorial006.py!}
    ```

These dependencies will be executed/solved the same way as normal dependencies. But their value (if they return any) won't be passed to your *path operation function*.

!!! tip
    Some editors check for unused function parameters, and show them as errors.

```Python hl_lines="9-13  36-53"
{!../../../docs_src/openapi_webhooks/tutorial001.py!}
```

The webhooks that you define will end up in the **OpenAPI** schema and the automatic **docs UI**.

!!! info

The process that happens when your API app calls the *external API* is named a "callback". Because the software that the external developer wrote sends a request to your API and then your API *calls back*, sending a request to an *external API* (that was probably created by the same developer).

### Tags with Enums

If you have a big application, you might end up accumulating **several tags**, and you would want to make sure you always use the **same tag** for related *path operations*.

In these cases, it could make sense to store the tags in an `Enum`.

**FastAPI** supports that the same way as with plain strings:

```Python hl_lines="1  8-10  13  18"
{!../../../docs_src/path_operation_configuration/tutorial002b.py!}
```

This also means that in many cases you can pass the same object you get from a request **directly to the database**, as everything is validated automatically.

The same applies the other way around, in many cases you can just pass the object you get from the database **directly to the client**.

    ```Python hl_lines="7  13"
    {!> ../../../docs_src/request_files/tutorial001_03.py!}
    ```

## Multiple File Uploads

It's possible to upload several files at the same time.

They would be associated to the same "form field" sent using "form data".

To use that, declare a list of `bytes` or `UploadFile`:

=== "Python 3.9+"

    ```Python hl_lines="10  15"

<img src="/img/tutorial/websockets/image04.png">

And all of them will use the same WebSocket connection.

## Using `Depends` and others

In WebSocket endpoints you can import from `fastapi` and use:

* `Depends`
* `Security`
* `Cookie`
* `Header`
* `Path`
* `Query`

They work the same way as for other FastAPI endpoints/*path operations*:

=== "Python 3.10+"