[Python-Dev] Threading and callbacks - missing documentation
Martin v. Loewis
martin@v.loewis.de
12 Apr 2002 09:03:54 +0200
Jack Jansen <Jack.Jansen@oratrix.com> writes:
> As I'm currently very interested in this for two separate reasons (one
> work-related, and another one is that I want to make the Mac toolbox
> modules release the GIL when appropriate) I could write something up,
> but only if (a) it isn't documented somewhere already and (b) someone
> can tell me how it actually works:-).
The issue in a callback is that you need to obtain a thread state
before getting the interpreter lock back. There are two ways to do
this:
1. the _tkinter approach: You can guarantee that the call-back occurs
in the context of the same thread that originally released the GIL.
In that case, save the thread state in a global variable, and
restore it inside the callback (see ENTER_TCL/ENTER_PYTHON).
2. the "free threading" approach: You assume that callback may occur
in the context of an arbitrary thread, even in a thread that was
not originally created by Python. In that case, inside the
call-back, use PyThreadState_New to create a fresh thread state,
then obtain the GIL for this tread state. When the callback is
done, delete the thread state. You need to preserve a pointer to
the interpreter somehow in a global variable (or provide other
means to locate the interpreter).
The advantage of 1 is that tracebacks go right back into the main
module, even from the callback; in approach 2, tracebacks go only back
to the entry in the callback (the callback appears to come out of
nowhere). The advantage of 2 is that it is more general.
HTH,
Martin