X-Git-Url: https://git.saurik.com/wxWidgets.git/blobdiff_plain/eaaa6a06a25774c18d10bb8182cc1934ed0ed9aa..1193d8fa93f2ef491786b96adc9c55cae6b2d7b1:/docs/latex/wx/thread.tex?ds=inline diff --git a/docs/latex/wx/thread.tex b/docs/latex/wx/thread.tex index ece9287b69..cfdbc20879 100644 --- a/docs/latex/wx/thread.tex +++ b/docs/latex/wx/thread.tex @@ -1,34 +1,75 @@ \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. + +There are two types of threads in wxWindows: {\it detached} and {\it joinable} +ones, just as in POSIX thread API (but unlike Win32 threads where all threads +are joinable). The difference between the two is that only joinbale threads +can return a return code - it is returned by Wait() function. The detached +threads (default) can not be waited for. + +You shouldn't hurry to create all the threads joinable, however, because this +has a disadvantage as well: you {\bf must} Wait() for a joinable thread of the +system resources used by it will never be freed and you also must delete the +corresponding wxThread object yourself, while detached threads are of the +"fire-and-forget" kind: you only have to start a detached thread and it will +terminate and destroy itself. + +This means, of course, that all detached threads {\bf must} be created on the +heap because the thread will call {\tt delete this;} upon termination. The +joinable threads may be created on stack (don't create global thread objects +because they allocate memory in their constructor which is a badthing to do), +although usually they will be created on the heap as well. \wxheading{Derived from} None. +\wxheading{Include files} + + + \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. +Constructor creates a new detached (default) or joinable C++ thread object. It +does not create (or starts execution of) the real thread - for this you should +use \helpref{Create}{wxthreadcreate} and \helpref{Run}{wxthreadrun} methods. \membersection{wxThread::\destruct{wxThread}} \func{}{\destruct{wxThread}}{\void} -Destroys the wxThread object. +Destructor frees the ressources associated with the thread. Notice that you +should never delete a detached thread - you may only call +\helpref{Delete}{wxthreaddelete} on it or wait until it terminates (and auto +destructs) itself. Because the detached threads delete themselves, they can +only be allocated on the heap. + +The joinable threads, however, may and should be deleted explicitly and +\helpref{Delete}{wxthreaddelete} and \helpref{Kill}{wxthreadkill} functions +will not delete the C++ thread object. It is also safe to allocate them on +stack. \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} @@ -36,38 +77,62 @@ One of: \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. +Calling \helpref{Delete}{wxthreaddelete} is a graceful way to terminate the +thread. It asks the thread to terminate and, if the thread code is well +written, the thread will terminate after the next call to +\helpref{TestDestroy}{wxthreadtestdestroy} which should happen quiet soon. -\membersection{wxThread::Destroy}\label{wxthreaddestroy} +However, if the thread doesn't call \helpref{TestDestroy}{wxthreadtestdestroy} +often enough (or at all), the function will not return immediately, but wait +until the thread terminates. As it may take a long time, the message processing +is not stopped during this function execution, so the message handlers may be +called from inside it! -\func{wxThreadError}{Destroy}{\void} +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} failed for a detached thread to free the memory +occupied by the thread object (it will be done in the destructor for joinable +threads). -Destroys the thread immediately unless the application has specified deferral via \helpref{wxThread::DeferDestroy}{deferdestroy}. +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. However, you should not call Delete() +on a detached thread which already terminated - doing so will probably result +in a crash because the thread object doesn't exist any more. -\wxheading{Return value} +For detached threads Delete() will also delete the C++ thread object, but it +will not do this for joinable ones. -One of: +This function can only be called from another thread context. -\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} +\membersection{wxThread::Entry}\label{wxthreadentry} + +\func{virtual ExitCode}{Entry}{\void} + +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. + +The returned value is the thread exit code which is only useful for the +joinable threads and is the value returned by \helpref{Wait}{wxthreadwait}. -\membersection{wxThread::GetID}\label{wxthreadgetid} +This function is called by wxWindows itself and should never be called +directly. -\constfunc{unsigned long}{GetID}{\void} +\membersection{wxThread::GetId}\label{wxthreadgetid} -Gets the thread identifier. +\constfunc{unsigned long}{GetId}{\void} + +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} @@ -75,38 +140,86 @@ Gets the thread identifier. Gets the priority of the thread, between zero and 100. -The following priorities are already defined: +The following priorities are defined: \twocolwidtha{7cm} \begin{twocollist}\itemsep=0pt -\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD_MIN_PRIORITY}}{0} -\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD_DEFAULT_PRIORITY}}{50} -\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD_MAX_PRIORITY}}{100} +\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD\_MIN\_PRIORITY}}{0} +\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD\_DEFAULT\_PRIORITY}}{50} +\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD\_MAX\_PRIORITY}}{100} \end{twocollist} \membersection{wxThread::IsAlive}\label{wxthreadisalive} \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::IsDetached}\label{wxthreadisdetached} + +\constfunc{bool}{IsDetached}{\void} + +Returns TRUE if the thread is of detached kind, FALSE if it is a joinable one. \membersection{wxThread::IsMain}\label{wxthreadismain} -\constfunc{bool}{IsMain}{\void} +\func{static bool}{IsMain}{\void} + +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} -Returns TRUE if the thread is the main application thread. +\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. + +For detached threads Kill() will also delete the associated C++ object. + +This function can only be called from another thread context. \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. + +This function should never be called directly. + +\membersection{wxThread::Pause}\label{wxthreadpause} + +\func{wxThreadError}{Pause}{\void} + +Suspends the thread. Under some implementations (Win32), the thread is +suspended immediately, under others it will only be suspended when it calls +\helpref{TestDestroy}{wxthreadtestdestroy} for the next time (hence, if the +thread doesn't call it at all, it won't be suspended). + +This function can only be called from another thread context. + +\membersection{wxThread::Run}\label{wxthreadrun} + +\func{wxThreadError}{Run}{\void} + +Starts the thread execution. Should be called after +\helpref{Create}{wxthreadcreate}. + +This function can only be called from another thread context. \membersection{wxThread::SetPriority}\label{wxthreadsetpriority} @@ -118,8 +231,60 @@ The following priorities are already defined: \twocolwidtha{7cm} \begin{twocollist}\itemsep=0pt -\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD_MIN_PRIORITY}}{0} -\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD_DEFAULT_PRIORITY}}{50} -\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD_MAX_PRIORITY}}{100} +\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD\_MIN\_PRIORITY}}{0} +\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD\_DEFAULT\_PRIORITY}}{50} +\twocolitem{{\bf WXTHREAD\_MAX\_PRIORITY}}{100} \end{twocollist} +\membersection{wxThread::Sleep}\label{wxthreadsleep} + +\func{static 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::Resume}\label{wxthreadresume} + +\func{wxThreadError}{Resume}{\void} + +Resumes a thread suspended by the call to \helpref{Pause}{wxthreadpause}. + +This function can only be called from another thread context. + +\membersection{wxThread::TestDestroy}\label{wxthreadtestdestroy} + +\func{bool}{TestDestroy}{\void} + +This function should be periodically called by the thread to ensure that calls +to \helpref{Pause}{wxthreadpause} and \helpref{Delete}{wxthreaddelete} will +work. If it returns TRUE, the thread should exit as soon as possible. + +\membersection{wxThread::This}\label{wxthreadthis} + +\func{static 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}. + +\membersection{wxThread::Wait}\label{wxthreadwait} + +\constfunc{ExitCode}{Wait}{\void} + +Waits until the thread terminates and returns its exit code or {\tt +(ExitCode)-1} on error. + +You can only Wait() for joinable (not detached) threads. + +This function can only be called from another thread context.