What are some examples of using the threading library in Python?

What are some examples of using the threading library in Python?

The threading library in Python allows you to run multiple threads (tasks, function calls) at once. Here are a few examples:

1. Basic Threading: You can create a simple thread to run a function in the background.
2. Thread Synchronization: Using locks to prevent race conditions when multiple threads access shared resources.
3. Thread Pooling: Managing a pool of threads to handle multiple tasks efficiently.

Would you like to see code examples for any of these?

Yes, can you show me a basic threading example?

Sure! Here's a simple example of using the threading library to run a function in a separate thread:

import threading

def print_numbers():
    for i in range(5):
        print(i)

# Create a thread
thread = threading.Thread(target=print_numbers)
# Start the thread
thread.start()
# Wait for the thread to finish
thread.join()

This code will print numbers from 0 to 4 in a separate thread. Would you like to know more about thread synchronization?

Yes, how do I use locks for thread synchronization?

You can use the Lock class from the threading library to synchronize access to shared resources. Here's an example:

import threading

# Create a lock
lock = threading.Lock()

shared_resource = 0

def increment():
    global shared_resource
    for _ in range(100000):
        lock.acquire()  # Acquire the lock
        shared_resource += 1
        lock.release()  # Release the lock

# Create threads
thread1 = threading.Thread(target=increment)
thread2 = threading.Thread(target=increment)

# Start threads
thread1.start()
thread2.start()

# Wait for threads to finish
thread1.join()
thread2.join()

print(shared_resource)

This ensures that only one thread can modify shared_resource at a time. Would you like to explore thread pooling next?