Re: Can a Multi-Threaded GTKMM Application Use std::thread Rather Than Glib::Thread?

[Chris Vine <chris cvine freeserve co uk>]

On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:57:00 +0100
Chris Gordon-Smith <c gordonsmith gmail com> wrote:
> [snip]
> So the way ahead for my project is:-
> 
> *  Continue using Glib::Thread and Glib::Dispatcher to keep two
>    separate Glib threads in my program - one for the GUI and one for
>    the simulation
> *  If and when I want to multithread the Glib simulation thread to
>    take advantage of the multi-core processors that are now widely
>    available, I'll use std::thread
> *  If and when gtkmm can support multithreading without use of
>    Glib::Thread, I'll update my program accordingly
> 
> Having two threading systems in the same program adds a bit of
> complication, but (assuming its feasible) I think its better than
> making the program more reliant on Glib::Thread than is essential.
> 
> I suppose that the two systems should not interfere. From the point of
> view of Glib, there will be two threads, a GUI thread and a Simulation
> thread. The std threading system will probably not 'know' that there
> is a GUI thread. It will just know that it has taken an original
> Simulation thread and split it into several parallel ones.

I think you looking at it the wrong way.  Threads don't "know"
anything, they just share address space.

I see no particular reason to split things up as you propose: just use
one threading interface or the other for everything.  Just make sure
you have called Glib::thread_init() if using glib < 2.24, or
Glib::thread_init(), g_type_init() or instantiated Gtk::Main if using
glib < 2.32, in order to make glib thread safe, and use
Glib::Dispatcher for inter-thread communication, and you are ready to
go.

As it happens I generally don't use either std::thread (to the best of
my knowledge g++ doesn't support it properly yet) nor GThreads in my
GTK+/glib programs. I normally use pthreads directly, as it does a
number of things that GThreads don't do, together with Glib::Dispatcher
or things equivalent to Glib::Dispatcher for inter-thread communication.

Chris