C# Thread Class Overview

Study Notes

Thread Class

The Thread class is used to create and manage threads in C#.NET.
Threads run independently and share memory space and state within a process.

Main Thread

When a process starts, the first thread created is the main thread.
It's responsible for handling initial operations.

Child Threads

Child threads are created using the Thread class and are initiated from the main thread.
To create a child thread, a ThreadStart delegate is used, which defines a method that runs within the thread context.

Thread States

Unstarted: A thread is initialized but not yet started.
Ready: A thread is ready to run but is waiting for CPU resources.
Running: A thread is currently executing its code.
WaitSleepJoin: A thread is temporarily suspended either by calling the Sleep() method or the Wait() method on a monitor.
Started: A suspended thread resumes to a started state when the suspending condition is no longer met.
Blocked: A thread is blocked when it's waiting for a resource or I/O operation.
Stopped: A thread has finished its task or has been terminated.

Thread Control

The Thread class provides methods to control its state and execution:
- Start(): Begins the execution of a thread.
- Abort(): Forces a thread to terminate, raising a ThreadAbortException.
- Sleep(): Pauses a thread's execution for a specified time.
- Join(): Causes a thread to wait for another thread to complete before proceeding.

Thread Life Cycle

A thread progresses through different states during its life cycle:
- It starts as Unstarted.
- Then enters the Started (Ready/Runnable) state after invoking the Start() method.
- The highest priority thread in the Started state transitions to the Running state.
- A running thread becomes Stopped when it completes its task or is aborted.
- A running thread can enter the Blocked state when it needs to perform an I/O operation.
- After completing the I/O, the thread returns to the Started state.
- A thread may enter the WaitSleepJoin state by calling the Sleep() or Wait() methods.
- It returns to the Started state when the waiting condition is met or its interrupt method is called.
- A thread in the WaitSleepJoin state can also return to the Started state when another thread joins it.

Description

This quiz covers the essential concepts of the Thread class in C#.NET, including the main thread, child threads, and various thread states. Test your knowledge on how threads operate within a process and manage their execution.