How do threads and coroutines compare in performance?

How do threads and coroutines compare in performance?

Threads and coroutines are both used for concurrent programming, but they have different performance characteristics. Threads are managed by the operating system and can run in parallel, while coroutines are lightweight and managed by the application, allowing for more efficient context switching.

Can you explain the overhead involved with threads?

Sure! Threads have higher overhead due to context switching managed by the OS, which involves saving and loading registers, memory maps, and more. This can lead to performance bottlenecks, especially with a large number of threads.

What about coroutines? Are they more efficient?

Yes, coroutines are generally more efficient for I/O-bound tasks because they allow for non-blocking operations and can yield control without the heavy context switching overhead of threads.

In what scenarios should I use threads instead of coroutines?

You should use threads for CPU-bound tasks that require true parallelism, especially when you need to leverage multiple CPU cores. Coroutines are better for I/O-bound tasks where you want to manage many concurrent operations without blocking.