Thread & Process

First-thing-first: CPU multitasking, also known as multitasking or multiprogramming, is the ability of a computer's central processing unit (CPU) to execute multiple tasks concurrently. Instead of completing one task at a time, a multitasking system allows for the interleaved execution of multiple tasks, seemingly simultaneously.

Threads and Processes:

A thread is a single sequence stream within a process. Because of some properties of processes, they are called lightweight processes. In a process, threads allow multiple executions of the streams. The CPU switches rapidly back and forth among the threads giving illusions that the threads are running in parallel. Like, a traditional process i.e., a process with one thread, a thread can be in any of several states(running, blocked, ready, or terminated). Each thread has its stack. since threads generally call different procedures and thus a different execution. This is why the thread needs its stack.

• Here's a simple analogy: Think of a process as a program, and threads as individual tasks within that program. If you have a word processing application running, the process is the application itself, and each thread might handle different tasks like user interface responsiveness, spell checking, and document printing.

Note: The distinction between processes and threads is crucial for understanding how modern operating systems manage and execute tasks efficiently, especially in environments with multiple processor cores.