multi threading

[WormIT]

@TheDcoder

" As we know, AU3 is singlethread and multithreading is only possible through direct ASM. This UDF provides a multithreading emulation through running multiple instances of your script. It also provides an easy way for sending and receiving messages between threads (temporary files are used)."

So I do not know why he does not call "two processes" or "two threads" which is "multi thread" here.
Examples just define how AuThread running with "two threads" look like "CoProc.au3" or "ChildProc.au3", we can edit for "three threads" or more.

If its really "multi threads emulation" try to send and get messages via memory with "_SharedVar.au3" and create thread with THIS

=> That what i meant to say

 

I love this idea, will make non-blocking simulator in AutoIt.

[TheDcoder]

@WormIT Did you see my edit?

[WormIT]

1 minute ago, TheDcoder said:

@WormIT Did you see my edit?

Yes, i was check there is an update in Github. Now its right threads here 

But threads can't interactive for now in this UDF. Look like more updates is coming soon...

[TheDcoder]

@WormIT Don't get your hopes high yet, AutoIt is not multi-thread safe... meaning that you can expect "unexpected" crashes

[WormIT]

1 minute ago, TheDcoder said:

@WormIT Don't get your hopes high yet, AutoIt is not multi-thread safe... meaning that you can expect "unexpected" crashes

 I also knows that, AutoIt isn't born for multithreading

[WormIT]

@Jefrey my editor code for AuThread.au3 newest update version.

Quote

Running on [AutoIt 3.3.14.2] [AutoIt3Wrapper v.15.920.938.0] [SciTE v.3.6.0.0] [OS:WIN_7/Service Pack 1]  [CPU:X64 OS:X64]

In "AuThread.au3"
+ Rename "thread.au3" back to "AuThread.au3" cuz i like this name
+ Need Enval and using MustDeclareVars to avoid running bugs, i don't know why.
+ DllCallbackFree($aResult) , not DllCallbackFree($hHandle). I don't know why, again.
+ Sleep(50) for slowly dllcall, as fast as crash 
+ I also catch params error here

 

In "Example.au3"
+ I'm trying to test with 100 test case very fast. 200 sometimes crashes
+ All GlobalVar again

Happy Scripting! 

Example.au3

expandcollapse popup

#include 'AuThread.au3'
#include 'Array.au3'

Opt("MustDeclareVars", 1)

Global $h0, $h1, $h2, $h3
Global $testNumber = 100

Dim $testCase[101][8]

ProgressOn("Creating an arrays of test case", "")

For $i = 0 To $testNumber
    ProgressSet($i)

    $h0 = CreateThread("whatever")
    $testCase[$i][0] = $h0

    $h1 = CreateThread("iamsub")
    $testCase[$i][1] = $h1

    ; Opens another one
    $h2 = CreateThread("iamanothersub")
    $testCase[$i][2] = $h2

    ; And opens another one, that will just close itself (as an example)
    $h3 = CreateThread("openandclose")
    $testCase[$i][3] = $h3

    $testCase[$i][4] = "I am the main thread"

    $testCase[$i][5] = TerminateThread($h1) ; Terminates h1 thread
    $testCase[$i][6] = TerminateThread($h2) ; Terminates h2 thread
    $testCase[$i][7] = TerminateThread("") ; Terminates no threads
Next

ProgressOff()

_ArrayDisplay($testCase, "AuThread.au3 " & $testNumber & "test case", "", 0, "|", "whever|sub1|sub2|open&close|main|termiTh1|termiTh1|termiNO")

Func iamsub($hThread)
    ConsoleWrite($i & "|")
EndFunc   ;==>_iamsub

Func iamanothersub($hThread)
    ConsoleWrite($i & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>_iamanothersub

Func openandclose($hThread)
    Return TerminateThread($hThread)
    ConsoleWrite("This message will not show up" & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>openandclose

 

AuThread.au3

#include-once
#include 'Array.au3'
#cs
    AutoIt Threads
    http://github.com/jesobreira/thread.au3
#ce
Global $hHandle, $tStruct, $aResult, $dReturn, $aTerminate, $hThread

Func CreateThread($sCallback)
;~  Local $hHandle, $tStruct, $aResult, $dReturn
    $hHandle = DllCallbackRegister($sCallback, "int", "ptr")
    If Not $hHandle Then Return False
    $tStruct = DllStructCreate("Char[200];int")
    DllStructSetData($tStruct, 1, 10)
    $aResult = DllCall("kernel32.dll", "hwnd", "CreateThread", "ptr", 0, "dword", 0, "long", DllCallbackGetPtr($hHandle), "ptr", DllStructGetPtr($tStruct), "long", 0, "int*", 0)
    $dReturn = (Not @error And IsArray($aResult)) ? $aResult[0] : SetError(1, 0, False)
    DllCallbackFree($aResult)
    Sleep(50)
    Return $dReturn
EndFunc   ;==>CreateThread

Func TerminateThread($hThread, $dwExitCode = 0)
    If Not IsHWnd($hThread) Then Return False
    $aTerminate = DllCall("kernel32.dll", "bool", "TerminateThread", "handle", $hThread, "dword", $dwExitCode)
    $dReturn = (Not @error And IsArray($aTerminate)) ? $aTerminate[1] : SetError(1, 0, False)
    Sleep(50)
    Return $dReturn
EndFunc   ;==>TerminateThread

 

Edited October 10, 2016 by WormIT

[junkew]

Maybe you have an example with

a. sorting 100.000 elements in an array

b. GDI+ circles bouncing independent over the screen

Regarding memory maybe you can use memory mapped files createfilemapping and openfilemapping in 2nd process or 2nd thread

on my system it breaks (run from scite and as compiled exe on W10 64 bits) 

Edited October 12, 2016 by junkew

[borsTiHD]

Hi all,

I know this thread is old, but AuThread is still amazing.

I have one question... I want to use two or more threads at the same time.

Works so far, but how can I use "_AuThread_GetMessage()" for the right thread (for the specific PID)?

What exactly does this mean: "_AuThread_GetMessage( [ $iPID = @AutoItPID ] )"

Thanks for your help.

 

greetings

borsTiHD

[JLogan3o13]

@borsTiHD The help file is your friend...

Quote

@AutoItPID

|    Process identifier (PID) of the current script.

 

[borsTiHD]

On 6.6.2018 at 2:13 PM, JLogan3o13 said:

@borsTiHD The help file is your friend...

 

Thanks I thought it was some AuThread specific variable, not from AutoIt.

But can someone please help me with my first question?

If I let two threads running, I'm waiting in my main thread for there answers.

Currently I can't assign the individual thread answers to the right thread id.

 

€dit:

Ok, it works now.

I send my ThreadID to my thread and put it afterwards in my thread answer for my main thread.

Now I can use many different threads for different tasks and I know exactly which thread answered me.

 

Edited June 7, 2018 by borsTiHD

[kcalb7]

..

Edited June 11, 2018 by kcalb7

[Melba23]

kcalb7,

Welcome to the AutoIt forums. But when you reply in future, please use the "Reply to this topic" button at the top of the thread or the "Reply to this topic" editor at the bottom rather than the "Quote" button - people know what they wrote and it just pads the thread unnecessarily. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

M23

 

 

[Arlen]

I just read the Forum Rules and didn't find anything on reply to an old post.

So my question is, how can I use this (AuThread) when i have GUI in my script, since the .exe runs two times I get two GUI. Any solution?

[TheDcoder]

@Arlen I am not sure that I understand, this UDF does not run the script itself again, but it rather uses a hack to have the callback function (the function which is supplied to the _AuThread_StartThread function) run asynchronously along side the main script... expect a lot of errors though.

Edited November 6, 2018 by TheDcoder

[Arlen]

6 minutes ago, TheDcoder said:

@Arlen I am not sure that I understand, this UDF does not run the script itself again, but it rather uses a hack to have the callback function (the function which is supplied to the _AuThread_StartThread function) run asynchronously along side the main script... expect a lot of errors though.

Thank you for clarifying that. BTW do you know any reliable way of doing this multi thread?

[TheDcoder]

@Arlen Nope, there isn't a good way to do multi-threading in AutoIt because it wasn't designed for this.

The closest thing you could do is run multiple instances of your script which can do multiple jobs for you, but you need to handle the communication between the instances yourself... maybe mail slots are a good way but it depends on your use case

[Petrask24]

Hi, this is my first post so if it is in the wrong place I apologize, I'm just looking for some answers here.

I've simplified the actual code I'm using into this script:

 

#include <authread.au3>

_AuThread_Startup()

Func _GetAvailableSlots()

    Global $slots = -1

    $thread1 = _AuThread_StartThread("thread1")

    ConsoleWrite($slots & @CRLF)

EndFunc

Func thread1()

    If (True) Then
        ToolTip("Yes", 0, 0)
        $slots = 3
    Else
        ToolTip("No", 0, 0)
    EndIf
EndFunc

_GetAvailableSlots()

For some reason, the variable $slots prints out as -1 instead of 3. Would anyone have any idea why this is happening? Been stuck on it forever now. Thanks.

[jchd]

This question would be best asked in the specific AuThread thread in Example Script forum.

[markyrocks]

3 hours ago, Petrask24 said:

For some reason, the variable $slots prints out as -1 instead of 3. Would anyone have any idea why this is happening? Been stuck on it forever now. Thanks.

edit sry.  o Its because the slots is only global to the script.  When you create threads using authread variables aren't global across threads.  The threads can communicate with each other using messages, that's one way variables could be changed globally. You could also use a file that's shared between threads.  The reason for this is the way that authread creates the threads, as you know autoit is not multi threaded capable on its own.  To create "threads" authread actually creates a new autoit process for each thread.  That being said your thread1() never actually executes inside the process in which your script is ran.

To expand on this separate processes don't share virtual memory unless some kinda communications pipe is set up or memory is reserved by one process in another.  

Edited September 6, 2020 by markyrocks

[Petrask24]

27 minutes ago, markyrocks said:

edit sry.  o Its because the slots is only global to the script.  When you create threads using authread variables aren't global across threads.  The threads can communicate with each other using messages, that's one way variables could be changed globally. You could also use a file that's shared between threads.  The reason for this is the way that authread creates the threads, as you know autoit is not multi threaded capable on its own.  To create "threads" authread actually creates a new autoit process for each thread.  That being said your thread1() never actually executes inside the process in which your script is ran.

Is it possible to have a return value (or message) from a function within the thread?