Python Threads

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Meta Tutorial

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title: Meta Tutorial

Contents

Goal: Use Threads!

Thread Overview
Python's Thread Library
Two Applications
Web Spider
GUI Background Thread

Tips and tricks

title: Contents

Part 1: Thread Intro

What are threads?

GIL
Python threads
Brute force threads

title: Part 1

Generic Threads

Similar to processes
Shared memory
Light-weight
Difficult to set up
Especially cross-platform

title: Generic Threads

Why Use Threads?

Efficiency/speed
multiple CPUs, parallelize blocking I/O

Responsiveness
e.g. background thread for GUI

Algorithmic simplicity
simulations, data passing
(mostly skipped in this tutorial)
title: Why Use Threads?

Python Threads

Class-based
Use threading, not thread

Cross-platform, OS-level
Thread Library

title: Python Threads

Python 1.5.2

configure --with-thread
Except on MS Windows and some Linux
distributions

Multi-CPU bug
Creating/destroying large numbers of
threads

Upgrade to 2.x
title: Python 1.5.2

GIL

Global Interpreter Lock (GIL)

Full Documentation:

www.python.org/doc/current/api/threads.html

Only one Python thread can run

Even with multiple CPUs

GIL is your friend (really!)

title: GIL

GIL in Action

Which is faster?
One Thread
total = 1
for i in range(10000):
total += 1
total = 1
for i in range(10000):
total += 1

Two Threads
total = 1
for i in range(10000):
total += 1

total = 1
for i in range(10000):
total += 1
title: GIL in action

Dealing with GIL

sys.setcheckinterval()
(default 10)
C extensions can release GIL
Blocking I/O releases GIL
So does time.sleep(!=0)

Multiple Processes
CORBA, XML-RPC, sockets, etc.
title: Dealing with GIL

Share External Objects

Files, GUI, DB connections

title: Share External Objects 1

Share External Objects

Files, GUI, DB connections

Don't
title: Share External Objects 2

Share External Objects

Files, GUI, DB connections

Don't

Partial exception: print

Still need to share?
Use worker thread
title: Share External Objects 3

Create Python Threads

Subclass threading.Thread
Override __init__() and run()
Do not override start()
In __init__(), call
Thread.__init__()

title: Create Python Threads

Use Python Threads

Instantiate thread object

t = MyThread()

Start the thread

t.start()

Methods/attribs from outside thread

t.put('foo')
if t.done:
title: Use Python Threads

Non-threaded Example
class Retriever:
def __init__(self, URL):
self.URL = URL
def run(self):
self.page = self.getPage()
retriever = Retriever('http://www.foo.com/')
retriever.run()
URLs = retriever.getLinks()

title: Non-threaded Example

Threaded Example
from threading import Thread
class Retriever(Thread):
def __init__(self, URL):
Thread.__init__(self)
self.URL = URL
def run(self):
self.page = self.getPage()
retriever = Retriever('http://www.foo.com/')
retriever.start()
while retriever.isAlive():
time.sleep(1)
URLs = retriever.getLinks()

title: Threaded Example

Multiple Threads
seeds = ['http://www.foo.com/',
'http://www.bar.com/',
'http://www.baz.com/']
threadList = []
URLs = []
for seed in Seed:
retriever = Retriever(seed)
retriever.start()
threadList.append(retriever)
for retriever in threadList:
# join() is more efficient than sleep()
retriever.join()
URLs += retriever.getLinks()
title: Multiple Threads

Thread Methods

Module functions:
activeCount() (not useful)
enumerate() (not useful)

Thread object methods:

start()
join() (somewhat useful)
isAlive() (not useful)
isDaemon()
setDaemon()
title: Thread Methods

Unthreaded Spider

SingleThreadSpider.py
Compare Tools/webchecker/

title: Unthreaded Spider

Brute Force Threads

Quick-convert to multiple threads

Need worker class
Just inherit from threading.Thread

One instance per work unit

title: Brute Force Threads

Brute Thread Spider

BruteThreadSpider.py

Few changes from

SingleThreadSpider.py
Spawn one thread per retrieval
Inefficient polling in main loop

title: Brute Thread Spider

Recap Part 1

GIL
Creating threads
Brute force threads

title: Recap Part 1

Part 2

Thread Theory
Python Thread Library

title: Part 2

Thread Order

Non-determinate
Thread 1

Thread 2

print "a,",
print "b,",
print "c,",

print "1,",
print "2,",
print "3,",

Sample output
1,
a,
1,
a,

a,
b,
2,
b,

b,
c,
3,
1,

2,
1,
a,
2,

c,
2,
b,
3,

3,
3,
c,
c,

title: Thread Order

Thread Communication

Data protection
Synchronization

title: Thread Communication

Data Protection

Keeps shared memory safe

Restricted code access
Only one thread accesses block of code

"critical section lock"

aka "mutex", "atomic operation"

Similar to DBMS locking

title: Data Protection

Synchronization

Synchronize action between threads

Passing data
Threads wait for each other to finish tasks

More efficient than polling

aka "wait/notify", "rendezvous"

title: Synchronization

Thread Library

Lock()
RLock()
Semaphore()
Condition()
Event()
Queue.Queue()
title: Thread Library

Lock()

Basic building block

Handles either protection or
synchronization

Methods
acquire(blocking)
release()

title: Lock()

Critical Section Lock

Thread 1

Thread 2

mutex.acquire()
if myList:
work = myList.pop()
mutex.release()
...
...
...
...

...
...
...
...
mutex.acquire()
if len(myList)<10:
myList.append(work)
mutex.release()

title: Critical Section Lock

Misusing Lock()

Lock() steps on itself

mutex = Lock()
mutex.acquire()
...
mutex.acquire()

# OOPS!

title: Misusing Lock()

Synch Two Threads

class Synchronize:
def __init__(self):
self.lock = Lock()
def wait(self):
self.lock.acquire()
self.lock.acquire()
self.lock.release()
def notify(self):
self.lock.release()

Thread 1
self.synch.wait()
...
...
self.synch.notify()

Thread 2
...
self.synch.notify()
self.synch.wait()
...
title: Synching threads

RLock()

Mutex only
Other threads cannot release RLock()

Recursive
Methods
acquire(blocking)
release()

title: RLock()

Using RLock()
mutex = RLock()
mutex.acquire()
...
mutex.acquire()
...
mutex.release()
mutex.release()

Thread 1
mutex.acquire()
self.update()
mutex.release()
...
...
...

# Safe

Thread 2
...
...
...
mutex.acquire()
self.update()
mutex.release()

title: Using RLock()

Semaphore()

Restricts number of running threads

In Python, primarily useful for simulations
(but consider using microthreads)

Methods
Semaphore(value)
acquire(blocking)
release()

title: Semaphore()

Condition()

Methods
Condition(lock)
acquire(blocking)
release()
wait(timeout)
notify()
notifyAll()

title: Condition()

Using Condition()

Must use lock

cond = Condition()
cond.acquire()
cond.wait()
# or notify()/notifyAll()
cond.release()

Avoid timeout
Creates polling loop, so inefficient

title: Using Condition()

Event()

Thin wrapper for Condition()

Don't have to mess with lock
Only uses notifyAll(), so can be
inefficient

Methods
set()
clear()
isSet()
wait(timeout)
title: Event()

TMTOWTDI

Perl:
There's More Than One Way To Do It

Python:
There should be one - and preferably only
one - obvious way to do it

Threads more like Perl

title: TMTOWTDI

Producer/Consumer

Example: factory
One part of the factory produces part of a
widget; another part of the factory
consumes widget parts to make complete
widgets. Trick is to keep it all in balance.

title: Producer/Consumer

title:

Body factory

Wheel factory

Assembly

title: Factory 1

Factory Objects 1
Body

Wheels

body.list
body.rlock
body.event
assembly.event

wheels.list
wheels.rlock
wheels.event
assembly.event

Assembly
body.list
body.rlock
body.event
wheels.list
wheels.rlock
wheels.event
assembly.rlock
assembly.event
title: Factory Objects 1

Queue()

Built on top of thread

Use with both threading and
thread

Designed for subclassing

Can implement stack, priority queue, etc.

Simple!
Handles both data protection and
synchronization
title: Queue()

Queue() Objects

Methods
Queue(maxsize)
put(item,block)
get(block)
qsize()
empty()
full()

Raises exception non-blocking

title: Queue() Objects

Using Queue()
Thread 1

Thread 2

out = self.doWork()
queue2.put(output)
...
...
...
self.in = queue1.get()

...
...
self.in = queue2.get()
out = self.doWork()
queue1.put(output)
...

title: Using Queue()

Body factory

Wheel factory

Assembly

title: Factory 2

Factory Objects 2
Body

Wheels

body.queue

wheels.queue

Assembly
body.queue
wheels.queue
assembly.rlock

title: Factory Objects 2

Body factory

Wheel factory

Packager

Assembly

title: Factory 3

Factory Objects 3
Body

Wheels

body.queue

wheels.queue

Packager
while 1:
body = self.body.queue.get()
wheels = self.wheels.queue.get()
self.assembly.queue.put( (body,wheels) )

Assembly
assembly.queue

title: Factory Objects 3

Recap Part 2

Data protection and synchronization

Python Thread Library
Queues are good

title: Recap Part 2

Part 3: Two Apps

Using Queues
spider (thread pool)
GUI (Tkinter) (background thread)

title: Part 3

Spider w/Queue

ThreadPoolSpider.py
Two queues
Pass work to thread pool
Get links back from thread pool

Queue for both data and events

title: Spider w/Queue

Tkinter Intro
This space intentionally left blank

title: Tkinter Intro

GUI building blocks

Widgets
Windows, buttons, checkboxes, text entry,
listboxes

Events
Widget activation, keypress, mouse
movement, mouse click, timers

title: GUI building blocks

Widgets

Geometry manager
Register callbacks

title: Widgets

Events

Event loop
Trigger callbacks

title: Events

Tkinter resources

Web
www.python.org/topics/tkinter/doc.html

Books
Python and Tkinter Programming, John E.
Grayson

title: Tkinter resources

Fibonacci

Fibonacci.py
UI freezes during calc
Frequent screen updates slow calc

title: Fibonacci

Threaded Fibonacci

FibThreaded.py
Tkinter needs to poll
Use after event

Single-element queue
Use in non-blocking mode to minimize
updates

Must use "Quit" button

title: Threaded Fibonacci

FibThreaded Bugs and

Exercises

Fix deadlock on quit

Fix display of illegal values
Refactor for generic calc object

title: FibThreaded Bugs and Exercises

Compare Spider/Fib

Shared structures vs. callbacks

title: Compare Spider/Fib

Recap Part 3

title: Recap Part 3

Part 4: Miscellaneous

Grab bag of useful info

title: Part 4

GIL and Shared Vars

Safe: one bytecode

Single operations against Python basic
types (e.g. appending to a list)

Unsafe
Multiple operations against Python
variables (e.g. checking the length of a list
before appending) or any operation that
involves a callback to a class (e.g. the
__getattr__ hook)
title: GIL and Shared Vars

Locks vs GIL

Each lock is unique, a real OS-level

lock; GIL is separate

title: Locks vs GIL

GIL example

Mutex only reading threads

Threads 1,4
myList.append(work)
...
...
...

Threads 2,3,5
mutex.acquire()
if myList:
work = myList.pop()
mutex.release()

Not safe with UserList

title: GIL example

dis this

disassemble source to byte codes

Thread-unsafe statement
If a single Python statement uses the same
shared variable across multiple byte codes,
or if there are multiple mutually-dependent
shared variables, that statement is not
thread-safe

title: dis this

Performance Tip

python -O
Also set PYTHONOPTIMIZE
15% performance boost
Removes bytecodes (SET_LINENO)
Fewer context switches!
Also removes assert

title: Performance Tip

import Editorial

How to import
from threading import Thread, Semaphore

or
import threading

Don't use
from threading import *

title: import Editorial

GIL and C Extensions

Look for macros:

Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS

Some common extensions:

mxODBC - yes
NumPy - no

I/O exception: library problems

e.g. socket.gethostbyname()
title: GIL and C Extensions

Stackless/Microthreads

Not OS-level threads

Mix: cooperative and preemptive
Useful for thousands of threads
e.g. simulations

More info:
http://www.tismer.com/research/stackless/
http://world.std.com/~wware/uthread.html

title: Stackless/Microthreads

Killing Threads

title: Killing Threads

Debugging Threads

gdb

title: Debugging Threads

Thread Scheduling

always on same cpu?

specify CPU?

title: Thread Scheduling

Handling Exceptions

try/finally
Use to make sure locks get released

try/except
Close down all threads in outer block
Be careful to pass SystemExit and
KeyboardInterrupt

title: Handling Exceptions

try/finally

title: try/finally

try/except

title: try/except

Pop Quiz 1
How are threads and processes similar and different?
What is the GIL?
In what ways does the GIL make thread programming
easier and harder?
How do you create a thread in Python?
What should not be shared between threads?
title: Pop Quiz 1

Pop Quiz 2
What are "brute force" threads?
Explain what each of the following is used for:
Lock()
RLock()
Semaphore()
Condition()
Event()
Queue.Queue()
Why are queues great?
title: Pop Quiz 2

Pop Quiz 3
How do you handle exceptions?

title: Pop Quiz 3