Multithreading in C++

A detailed guide on handling multithreading in C++ using the `thread` library. This article helps you understand how to use multithreading to improve concurrent processing efficiency.

In this article, we will explore how to handle multithreading in C++ using the thread library introduced in C++11. We will implement simple examples to demonstrate how to create, start, and manage threads.

C++ code

#include <iostream>
#include <thread>
#include <chrono>

void printNumbers() {
    for (int i = 1; i <= 5; ++i) {
        std::cout << "Number: " << i << std::endl;
        std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::seconds(1));
    }
}

void printLetters() {
    for (char letter = 'A'; letter <= 'E'; ++letter) {
        std::cout << "Letter: " << letter << std::endl;
        std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::seconds(1));
    }
}

int main() {
    // Create two threads
    std::thread thread1(printNumbers);
    std::thread thread2(printLetters);

    // Start the threads
    thread1.join(); // Wait for thread 1 to complete
    thread2.join(); // Wait for thread 2 to complete

    std::cout << "Multithreading complete" << std::endl;

    return 0;
}

Detailed explanation

• #include <thread>: Includes the library to use multithreading functionalities.
• void printNumbers(): Defines a function to print numbers from 1 to 5 with a one-second delay between each print.
• std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::seconds(1)): Suspends the execution of the current thread for 1 second.
• std::thread thread1(printNumbers): Creates a new thread to execute the printNumbers function.
• thread1.join(): Waits for thread 1 to complete before continuing.
• thread2.join(): Waits for thread 2 to complete before continuing.

System Requirements:

• C++11 or later

How to install the libraries needed to run the C++ code above:

This program only uses standard libraries of C++. You just need a compiler that supports C++11 (like g++, clang, or MSVC).

Tips:

• Be careful when using multithreading, as it can lead to issues like deadlocks or race conditions.
• Use synchronization techniques like mutexes and condition variables when necessary to ensure safety when sharing data between threads.

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