Multi-tasking and Multi-threading Foundation

This chapter describes functions which allow the Xbase++ programmer to access special capabilities of the operating system at the Xbase++ language level. These functions provide access to multi-tasking and multi-threading.

"Multi-tasking" is the capability of the operating system to run several application programs simultaneously. Each application program is embedded in a process. A process contains at least one "thread" where the program code is executed. Program code is executed only in a thread, not in a process. Several threads can be active within a process. This multi-threading capability of the operating system allows various parts of the same application program to run at the same time.

Start multiple processes - multi-tasking

Using multiple threads

Execution paths in a program

Visibility of variables in threads

Priorities of threads

Getting information about threads

Thread objects know the time

(De)Initialization routines for Threads

User-defined Thread classes

Controlling threads using wait states

Controlling threads using signals

Mutual exclusion of threads