5.1. Concurrency

Introduction

Hey, can you explain "concurrency" to me? I've heard it's an advanced programming concept.

Concurrency is about running multiple tasks at the same time, making your program more efficient.

Sounds cool! Show me a simple example, please!

Sure! Let's use Python and its "threading" module for this example.

Step 1: Importing the Threading Module

First, we need to import the module for threading, right?

Exactly! We'll use the "import" statement to do that.

import threading

Step 2: Defining Functions for Threads

Now, what do we do next?

We'll create two simple functions that our threads will execute concurrently.

def print_numbers():
    for i in range(10):
        print(i)

def print_letters():
    for letter in 'abcdefghij':
        print(letter)

Step 3: Creating and Starting Threads

How do we create and start the threads?

We create thread objects and call their "start" method to begin execution.

number_thread = threading.Thread(target=print_numbers)
letter_thread = threading.Thread(target=print_letters)

number_thread.start()
letter_thread.start()

Step 4: Waiting for Threads to Complete

And finally, how do we wait for the threads to finish?

We use the "join" method on each thread to wait for them to complete.

number_thread.join()
letter_thread.join()

Conclusion

Now you have an introduction to concurrency with Python’s threading module! Concurrency allows you to run multiple tasks simultaneously, making your programs more efficient. Keep learning and exploring more advanced concepts! 🎉