Lecture #9 - Processes and Threads

Web Resourses:

Content:

1. The Syllabus describes topics to be covered, reading material for you to digest before coming to class, and due dates for the assigned projects.

2. Projects:

   Project #1, Project #2, Project #3, Project #4, Project2HelpF2018 Find Visual Studio Command Window used to test Compile.bat and Run.bat files Project #1 Grades, Project #2 Packages, Project #2 Activities

3. Basic Windows Concepts

   If you understand these diagrams, you have a good understanding of how Windows OS works.

   Process diagram, vsd
   Memory-Mapped Files diagram vsd
   Windows Event Processing vsd

4. Windows Processes

   Win32 Process Creation
   .Net Process Creation
   

5. Threads

   Why threads? demo
   This demonstrates that a GUI window will freeze if given a lot of processing that runs on the main thread. The solution is to use a child thread to handle all the CPU intensive processing, while the main thread responds to user events. Threads Presentation, pptx
   This presentation discusses Windows threading and synchronization constructs and compares them to facilities provided by the .Net Framework.

6. Code Demos:

   Starting Threads
   Starting threads with ThreadStart and ParameterizedThreadStart delegates

   Basic Thread Demos
   Creating threads, locking with Lock, Monitor, and Mutex locks, another illustration of lambda closure

   Blocking Queue using Monitor
   Thread-safe blocking queue using preferred method of synchronization with Monitor

   BlockingCollection<T>
   We won't use this and won't discuss

   Queued Messages with BlockingQueue
   Communication between threads by passing messages throught BlockingQueue.

   Queued Messages with synchronized methods
   C#, like Java, has synchronized methods. We won't use them in this class.

   Wait For Event
   Use interlocked to signal type of action, Monitor to wait for a keyboard event

   Threads and Tasks
   Creation and use of threads, several threads running concurrently, threads sharing data, creation and use of Tasks, Tasks with Continuations.

   Tasks and Continuations
   Task with no result, Task with no result and continuation, Task with result, Task with result and Continuation, Task taking lambda, Task using asynch - await

   WPF Thread Demos
   

   Threads-SMA-MTF15
   Thread with enqueued tasks, asynchronous function with callback, asynchronous notifier, stoppable asynchronous function

   Form's BackgroundWorker
   .Net FormInvoke Demo
   WPF Dispatcher Invoke Demo
   ThreadPool Demo
   

7. AppDomain Demos - Won't need for projects this year, but important for later

   • AppDomainDemo - ver 2
     Illustrates how to create a child AppDomain, load a library into it, and use the library.
     
   • AppDomainDemo2
     Illustrates how to establish two-way communication between parent and child AppDomains.
   • AppDomainDemo3
     Illustrates how to handle almost all the common processing errors, e.g.,
     test code intentionally throwing, divide by zero, use of null reference, and Thread.Abort().
   • CS-BlockingQueue
     This package implements a blocking queue, which you need for Project #2.
   • LoadingTests - ver 2
     Illustrates how to load test drivers, their tested code, and create and use the test driver.
     You will need to load this code into a child AppDomain. Ver 2 adds additional error handling.
   • XmlHelp
     Illustrates how to parse an XML TestRequest message.