\section{\class{wxThread}}\label{wxthread}
-A wxThread manages a system thread, code which executes as a mini-process within the application.
+A thread is basically a path of execution through a program. Threads are also
+sometimes called {\it light-weight processes}, but the fundamental difference
+between threads and processes is that memory spaces of different processes are
+separated while all threads share the same address space. While it makes it
+much easier to share common data between several threads, it also makes much
+easier to shoot oneself in the foot, so careful use of synchronization objects
+such as \helpref{mutexes}{wxmutex} and/or \helpref{critical sections}{wxcriticalsection} is recommended.
\wxheading{Derived from}
None.
+\wxheading{Include files}
+
+<wx/thread.h>
+
\wxheading{See also}
-\helpref{wxMutex}{wxmutex}, \helpref{wxCondition}{wxcondition}
+\helpref{wxMutex}{wxmutex}, \helpref{wxCondition}{wxcondition}, \helpref{wxCriticalSection}{wxcriticalsection}
\latexignore{\rtfignore{\wxheading{Members}}}
-\membersection{wxThread::wxThread}\label{wxthreadconstr}
+\membersection{wxThread::wxThread}\label{wxthreadctor}
\func{}{wxThread}{\void}
-Default constructor.
+Default constructor: it doesn't create nor starts the thread.
\membersection{wxThread::\destruct{wxThread}}
\func{}{\destruct{wxThread}}{\void}
-Destroys the wxThread object.
+wxThread destructor is private, so you can not call it directly - i.e., deleting
+wxThread objects is forbidden. Instead, you should use \helpref{Delete}{wxthreaddelete} or
+\helpref{Kill}{wxthreadkill} methods. This also means that thread objects should
+eb {\bf always} allocated on the heap (i.e. with {\it new}) because the functions
+mentioned above will try to reclaim the storage from the heap.
\membersection{wxThread::Create}\label{wxthreadcreate}
\func{wxThreadError}{Create}{\void}
-Creates a thread control.
+Creates a new thread. The thread object is created in the suspended state, you
+should call \helpref{Run}{wxthreadrun} to start running it.
\wxheading{Return value}
\twocolwidtha{7cm}
\begin{twocollist}\itemsep=0pt
-\twocolitem{{\bf THREAD\_NO\_ERROR}}{There was no error.}
-\twocolitem{{\bf THREAD\_NO\_RESOURCE}}{There were insufficient resources to create a new thread.}
-\twocolitem{{\bf THREAD\_RUNNING}}{The thread is already running.}
+\twocolitem{{\bf wxTHREAD\_NO\_ERROR}}{There was no error.}
+\twocolitem{{\bf wxTHREAD\_NO\_RESOURCE}}{There were insufficient resources to create a new thread.}
+\twocolitem{{\bf wxTHREAD\_RUNNING}}{The thread is already running.}
\end{twocollist}
-\membersection{wxThread::DeferDestroy}\label{wxthreaddeferdestroy}
+\membersection{wxThread::Delete}\label{wxthreaddelete}
-\func{void}{DeferDestroy}{\param{bool}{ defer}}
+\func{void}{Delete}{\void}
-If {\it defer} is TRUE, defers thread destruction. This function affects the
-calling thread.
+This function should be called to terminate this thread. Unlike \helpref{Kill}{wxthreadkill}, it
+gives the target thread the time to terminate gracefully. Because of this, however, this function
+may not return immediately and if the thread is "hung" won't return at all. Also, message processing
+is not stopped during this function execution, so the message handlers may be called from inside
+it.
-\membersection{wxThread::Destroy}\label{wxthreaddestroy}
+Delete() may be called for thread in any state: running, paused or even not yet created. Moreover,
+it must be called if \helpref{Create}{wxthreadcreate} or \helpref{Run}{wxthreadrun} fail to free
+the memory occupied by the thread object.
-\func{wxThreadError}{Destroy}{\void}
+\membersection{wxThread::Entry}\label{wxthreadentry}
-Destroys the thread immediately unless the application has specified deferral via \helpref{wxThread::DeferDestroy}{wxthreaddeferdestroy}.
+\func{virtual void *}{Entry}{\void}
-\wxheading{Return value}
+This is the entry point of the thread. This function is pure virtual and must
+be implemented by any derived class. The thread execution will start here.
-One of:
-
-\twocolwidtha{7cm}
-\begin{twocollist}\itemsep=0pt
-\twocolitem{{\bf THREAD\_NO\_ERROR}}{There was no error.}
-\twocolitem{{\bf THREAD\_NOT\_RUNNING}}{The thread is not running.}
-\end{twocollist}
+The returned value is the thread exit code but is currently ignored in
+wxWindows implementation (this will change in near future).
\membersection{wxThread::GetID}\label{wxthreadgetid}
\constfunc{unsigned long}{GetID}{\void}
-Gets the thread identifier.
+Gets the thread identifier: this is a platform dependent number which uniquely identifies the
+thread throughout the system during its existence (i.e. the thread identifiers may be reused).
\membersection{wxThread::GetPriority}\label{wxthreadgetpriority}
\constfunc{bool}{IsAlive}{\void}
-Returns TRUE if the thread is alive.
+Returns TRUE if the thread is alive (i.e. started and not terminating).
\membersection{wxThread::IsMain}\label{wxthreadismain}
\constfunc{bool}{IsMain}{\void}
-Returns TRUE if the thread is the main application thread.
+Returns TRUE if the calling thread is the main application thread.
+
+\membersection{wxThread::IsPaused}\label{wxthreadispaused}
+
+\constfunc{bool}{IsPaused}{\void}
+
+Returns TRUE if the thread is paused.
+
+\membersection{wxThread::IsRunning}\label{wxthreadisrunning}
+
+\constfunc{bool}{IsRunning}{\void}
-\membersection{wxThread::Join}\label{wxthreadjoin}
+Returns TRUE if the thread is running.
-\func{void*}{Join}{\void}
+\membersection{wxThread::Kill}\label{wxthreadkill}
-Waits for the termination of the thread. Returns a platform-specific exit code. TODO
+\func{wxThreadError}{Kill}{\void}
+
+Immediately terminates the target thread. {\bf This function is dangerous and should
+be used with extreme care (and not used at all whenever possible)!} The resources
+allocated to the thread will not be freed and the state of the C runtime library
+may become inconsistent. Use \helpref{Delete()}{wxthreaddelete} instead.
\membersection{wxThread::OnExit}\label{wxthreadonexit}
\func{void}{OnExit}{\void}
-Called when the thread exits. The default implementation calls \helpref{wxThread::Join}{wxthreadjoin}.
+Called when the thread exits. This function is called in the context of the thread
+associated with the wxThread object, not in the context of the main thread.
+
+\membersection{wxThread::Run}\label{wxthreadrun}
+
+\func{wxThreadError}{Run}{\void}
+
+Runs the thread.
\membersection{wxThread::SetPriority}\label{wxthreadsetpriority}
\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD\_MAX\_PRIORITY}}{100}
\end{twocollist}
+\membersection{wxThread::Sleep}\label{wxthreadsleep}
+
+\func{\void}{Sleep}{\param{unsigned long }{milliseconds}}
+
+Pauses the thread execution for the given amount of time.
+
+This function should be used instead of \helpref{wxSleep}{wxsleep} by all worker
+(i.e. all except the main one) threads.
+
+\membersection{wxThread::This}\label{wxthreadthis}
+
+\func{wxThread *}{This}{\void}
+
+Return the thread object for the calling thread. NULL is returned if the calling thread
+is the main (GUI) thread, but \helpref{IsMain}{wxthreadismain} should be used to test
+whether the thread is really the main one because NULL may also be returned for the thread
+not created with wxThread class. Generally speaking, the return value for such thread
+is undefined.
+
+\membersection{wxThread::Yield}\label{wxthreadyield}
+
+\func{\void}{Yield}{\void}
+
+Give the rest of the thread time slice to the system allowing the other threads to run.
+See also \helpref{Sleep()}{wxthreadsleep}.
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projects / wxWidgets.git / blobdiff