Passing arguments to threading objects

[Jeff Shannon]

In article 
<pan.2002.04.23.22.39.14.487844.11225 at teich.garten.DigitalProject
s.com>, news.ASkwar at DigitalProjects.com says...

> def mache(name, max):
> 	for i in range(max):
> 		print `name` + ': ' + `i`
> 		time.sleep(random.random())
> 
> class myThread(threading.Thread):
> 	def run(self, name, max):
> 		for i in range(max):
> 			print `name` + ': ' + `i`

Aahz already answered your original question, but I wanted to add 
that you should really learn to use string formatting.  Your 
print statements above are much cleaner and more efficient if you 
instead use this:

    print "%s: %d" % (name, I)

The format specifiers embedded in the string (%s, %d) mark the 
location and the type of data to substitute.  Python will try to 
replace the %s with a string, and the %d with a (decimal) number.
Data is drawn from the tuple at the end of the expression, with 
the first specifier being replaced by the first item in the 
tuple, etc.  (The number of specifiers must match the length of 
the tuple.)

This is typically easier to follow than lots of string additions.  
It's also more efficient -- when you do multiple string 
additions, Python creates a new temporary string for *each* 
addition, whereas the string formatting requires only one new 
string no matter how many format specifiers you use.  In your 
example performance isn't a big issue, but especially if this is 
done in a tight loop, the resulting difference in efficiency can 
be huge.

-- 

Jeff Shannon
Technician/Programmer
Credit International