What is the purpose of the `async` and `await` keywords?

`async` is used to declare an asynchronous function, which automatically returns a promise. The `await` keyword is used inside `async` functions to pause execution until a promise is resolved or rejected, making asynchronous code easier to read and write. This approach avoids the need for chaining `.then()` and `.catch()` methods. 

async function fetchData() {
  try {
    const data = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');
    const json = await data.json();
    console.log(json);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching data:', error);
  }
}

fetchData();