Question about Python threads

Aahz aahz at pythoncraft.com
Wed Aug 21 23:28:09 EDT 2002


In article <pan.2002.08.21.14.18.37.335853.19857 at charter.net>,
Mr. Neutron <nicktsocanos at charter.net> wrote:
>
>  If I understand, only one thread can be in the interpreter at any time.
>Now what I don't understand is being in the interpreter at a time part.

That means pure Python code.  For example:

    x = 1 + 2

However, if you call a C function that releases the global interpreter
lock (GIL), then multiple threads can run concurrently.  Most I/O
functions in Python do this.  For example:

    page = urllib.urlopen('http://www.python.org/').read()
-- 
Aahz (aahz at pythoncraft.com)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

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