[Tutor] Multiple threads

[Dave Angel]

(You're top-posting.  Put your remarks AFTER what you're quoting)

On 11/16/2011 12:52 PM, Jack Keegan wrote:
> Ok, I thought that processes would do the same job as threads. So would the
> general rule be some thing like so:
>
> If I want another piece of work to run (theoretically) along side my main
> script, and I want to share data between them, I should use a thread and
> share data with the thread-safe queue.
> If the work I want done can function and complete on its own, go for a
> process.
>
> Would that be about right?
>

Yes, with all the caveats I mentioned before.  With some language 
implementations, and with some operating systems, and on some 
CPU-systems, the guidelines could be different.  They all trade off in 
ways too complex to describe here.

For example, if a thread is mostly doing I/O, it may be just as 
efficient as a separate process, even if sharing data isn't an issue.

And in some languages, sharing data between processes isn't all that 
tough, either.


-- 

DaveA