What are the best practices for using the Python threading module?

What are the best practices for using the Python threading module?

When using the Python threading module, it's important to follow best practices like avoiding global variables, using locks for shared resources, and keeping threads lightweight.

Can you explain why avoiding global variables is important?

Avoiding global variables helps prevent race conditions, where multiple threads try to read or write to the same variable simultaneously, leading to unpredictable behavior.

What are locks and how do I use them?

Locks are synchronization primitives that prevent multiple threads from accessing shared resources at the same time. You can use the threading.Lock() class to create a lock and use lock.acquire() and lock.release() to control access.

Are there any performance considerations I should be aware of?

Yes, excessive use of locks can lead to contention and reduce performance. It's best to minimize the time a thread holds a lock and to use higher-level constructs like Queue when possible.