Improve documentation for running complex applications

CHANGES/6278.doc

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Added information on running complex applications with additional tasks/processes -- :user:`Dreamsorcerer`.

docs/web_advanced.rst

@@ -897,6 +897,52 @@ The task ``listen_to_redis`` will run forever.
 To shut it down correctly :attr:`Application.on_cleanup` signal handler
 may be used to send a cancellation to it.
 
+.. _aiohttp-web-complex-applications:
+
+Complex Applications
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Sometimes aiohttp is not the sole part of an application and additional
+tasks/processes may need to be run alongside the aiohttp :class:`Application`.
+
+Generally, the best way to achieve this is to use :func:`aiohttp.web.run_app`
+as the entry point for the program. Other tasks can then be run via
+:attr:`Application.startup` and :attr:`Application.on_cleanup`. By having the
+:class:`Application` control the lifecycle of the entire program, the code
+will be more robust and ensure that the tasks are started and stopped along
+with the application.
+
+For example, running a long-lived task alongside the :class:`Application`
+can be done with a :ref:`aiohttp-web-cleanup-ctx` function like::
+
+
+  async def run_other_task(_app):
+      task = asyncio.create_task(other_long_task())
+
+      yield
+
+      task.cancel()
+      with suppress(asyncio.CancelledError):
+          await task  # Ensure any exceptions etc. are raised.
+
+  app.cleanup_ctx.append(run_other_task)
+
+
+Or a separate process can be run with something like::
+
+
+  async def run_process(_app):
+      proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(path)
+
+      yield
+
+      if proc.returncode is None:
+          proc.terminate()
+      await proc.wait()
+
+  app.cleanup_ctx.append(run_process)
+
+
 Handling error pages
 --------------------
 

docs/web_reference.rst

@@ -2784,13 +2784,15 @@ Utilities
                       reuse_address=None, \
                       reuse_port=None)
 
-   A utility function for running an application, serving it until
+   A high-level function for running an application, serving it until
    keyboard interrupt and performing a
    :ref:`aiohttp-web-graceful-shutdown`.
 
-   Suitable as handy tool for scaffolding aiohttp based projects.
-   Perhaps production config will use more sophisticated runner but it
-   good enough at least at very beginning stage.
+   This is a high-level function very similar to :func:`asyncio.run` and
+   should be used as the main entry point for an application. The
+   :class:`Application` object essentially becomes our `main()` function.
+   If additional tasks need to be run in parallel, see
+   :ref:`aiohttp-web-complex-applications`.
 
    The server will listen on any host or Unix domain socket path you supply.
    If no hosts or paths are supplied, or only a port is supplied, a TCP server