How to manage time for sub threads

[novis]

Hello guys,
this is a thread question:
I do've a main thread wich is starting a sub thread at a certain point. The problem: It seems that the sub thread does not get any cpu time to work. If I put

time.sleep(1)

in the main thread the sub thread is working without complaints.
But this certainly can't be the way.

I still have problems to understand the use of active objects (which might be the root of my problem).
Can somebody give some advice pls?
e.g. How can I tell the greedy main thread to leave some cpu time for the poor sub thread?
What can I do with this:

lock = thread.allocate_lock
lock.release()

?

1000Thx
novis

[novis]

ok, i'll try to be a little more precise:

import appuifw, e32, time, thread ....
def subthread():
  download file from a server

thread.start_new_thread(subthread,())
while running:
     main thread....
     time.sleep(1) # the sub thread will only be executed if I tell the main thread to sleep! 
     e32.ao_yield()

Why is the subthread only running when I tell the main thread to sleep for a while??

What can I do to give a certain amount of time to my sub thread??

THX
novis

[gaba88]

hi novis
i see that the basic answer lies in the concept of active objects only.
when any one object is running. if u want to start any other object u have to make that object stop for the time being.
thats the case wid ur code u hav to stop the main thread for allowing the sub thread to do its bit of work.
plz give a feedback

[novis]

Hi gaba88,
thx for answering.
I understand that i need a kind of time sharing between the main and the sub thread. But how can I achieve this?

[novis]

Any suggestions from anyone?

[JOM]

Any suggestions from anyone?

Heh, generic answer to generic question: change your app logic from busy loop to event based app. This way your sub thread will get all the time, while main thread is idle waiting for something happen.

Sorry, but you asked "any suggestions"! Whatever you're trying to do, there are many different ways to do it. Choose what works for you. Are you really, really sure you absolutely need that sub thread?

Cheers,

--jouni

[gaba88]

Any suggestions from anyone?

hi novis sorry for repliyin late
preferrably Jom is correct that plz have a change in ur programming logic. moreover i m searching some more ideas will reply you soon.
thanx

[novis]

Hi Guys,
regarding the event based application structure: You are right JOM, this is a good point, I'll think about it.

By the way, I found a good website which perfectly explains python threads and there functionality.
http://linuxgazette.net/107/pai.html
This site answeres lots of thread questions .
E.g. very interesting to me was the fact, "that in order to support multi threaded Python programs the interpreter regularly releases and reacquires the lock, by default every 10 bytecode instructions."
This site also answered my question why my subthread did not get enough cpu time to run (2.1 Locks).

Cheers
novis

[gaba88]

Hi Guys,
regarding the event based application structure: You are right JOM, this is a good point, I'll think about it.

By the way, I found a good website which perfectly explains python threads and there functionality.
http://linuxgazette.net/107/pai.html
This site answeres lots of thread questions .
E.g. very interesting to me was the fact, "that in order to support multi threaded Python programs the interpreter regularly releases and reacquires the lock, by default every 10 bytecode instructions."
This site also answered my question why my subthread did not get enough cpu time to run (2.1 Locks).

Cheers
novis

hi novis
thank you for the link it is really of great help and u r correct that it will answer all the questions related to threads.
thanx.