Understanding Processes and Threads

Understanding Processes and Threads

Process:

  • A process can be compared to a standalone program running on a computer.

  • Examples of processes include web browsers, text editors, or media players.

  • Each process has its own memory space, allowing it to run independently.

  • Think of different programs running simultaneously on your computer as separate processes. For instance, if you have a web browser open and a media player running, they are separate processes.

Thread:

  • A thread can be thought of as a smaller unit of execution within a process.

  • Consider a word processing application where you can edit a document while it is being spell-checked in the background.

  • The word processing application is the process, and editing and spell-checking are different threads within that process.

  • Both the editing and spell-checking threads share the same memory space of the process and can work concurrently.

In simple terms, a process is like a program or application running on a computer, and a thread is a specific task or activity within that program. Multiple threads can exist within a single process, allowing for concurrent execution and multitasking within an application.