Four ways to implement multithreading in C language

Multithreading in the language can greatly improve program efficiency. There are four main ways to implement multithreading in C language: Create independent processes: Create multiple independently running processes, each process has its own memory space. Pseudo-multithreading: Create multiple execution streams in a process that share the same memory space and execute alternately. Multi-threaded library: Use multi-threaded libraries such as pthreads to create and manage threads, providing rich thread operation functions. Coroutine: A lightweight multi-threaded implementation that divides tasks into small subtasks and executes them in turn.

Four ways to implement multithreading in C language

Multithreading is a technology that improves program performance, which allows a program to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. The C language provides a variety of methods to implement multithreading, each with its unique advantages and disadvantages.

1. POSIX thread (pthread)

pthread is the most common multithreaded library in C language. It contains a set of functions that allow the creation and management of threads. pthread is suitable for a variety of platforms including Linux, macOS, and Solaris.

advantage:

• Cross-platform compatibility
• Extensive set of functions
• high performance

shortcoming:

• Windows systems require additional libraries
• The interface may be more complex

2. Win32 threads

Win32 threads are a multi-threaded implementation unique to Microsoft Windows systems. It provides low-level functions that interact with the operating system.

advantage:

• Designed specifically for Windows systems
• high performance

shortcoming:

• Windows Platforms Only
• Interfaces are more complex than pthread

3. OpenMP

OpenMP is a compiler instruction set used to create and manage multithreaded programs. It uses preprocessor macros and compiler options to indicate parallel code blocks.

advantage:

• Simple and easy to read code
• portability

shortcoming:

• Need special compiler support
• Performance may not be as good as other methods

4. Boost thread

Boost threads are a cross-platform multi-threaded library in the C standard library. It provides a similar feature set to pthread.

advantage:

• Lightweight and easy to use
• Cross-platform compatibility

shortcoming:

• Not part of C
• Probably slightly lower performance than other methods

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