ThreadPool Class (System.Threading)

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Microsoft Visual Studio 2005/.NET Framework 2.0

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.NET Framework Class Library

ThreadPool Class

Provides a pool of threads that can be used to post work items, process asynchronous I/O, wait on behalf of other threads, and process timers.

Namespace: System.Threading
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)

Public NotInheritable Class ThreadPool

Visual Basic (Usage)

The members of a static class are accessed directly without an instance of the class.

public static class ThreadPool

C++

public ref class ThreadPool abstract sealed

public final class ThreadPool

JScript

public final class ThreadPool

Remarks

Note
The HostProtectionAttribute attribute applied to this class has the following Resources property value: Synchronization \| ExternalThreading. The HostProtectionAttribute does not affect desktop applications (which are typically started by double-clicking an icon, typing a command, or entering a URL in a browser). For more information, see the HostProtectionAttribute class or SQL Server Programming and Host Protection Attributes.

Note

The HostProtectionAttribute attribute applied to this class has the following Resources property value: Synchronization | ExternalThreading. The HostProtectionAttribute does not affect desktop applications (which are typically started by double-clicking an icon, typing a command, or entering a URL in a browser). For more information, see the HostProtectionAttribute class or SQL Server Programming and Host Protection Attributes.

Many applications create threads that spend a great deal of time in the sleeping state, waiting for an event to occur. Other threads might enter a sleeping state only to be awakened periodically to poll for a change or update status information. Thread pooling enables you to use threads more efficiently by providing your application with a pool of worker threads that are managed by the system. One thread monitors the status of several wait operations queued to the thread pool. When a wait operation completes, a worker thread from the thread pool executes the corresponding callback function.

Note
The threads in the managed thread pool are background threads. That is, their IsBackground properties are true. This means that a ThreadPool thread will not keep an application running after all foreground threads have exited.

You can also queue work items that are not related to a wait operation to the thread pool. To request that a work item be handled by a thread in the thread pool, call the QueueUserWorkItem method. This method takes as a parameter a reference to the method or delegate that will be called by the thread selected from the thread pool. There is no way to cancel a work item after it has been queued.

Timer-queue timers and registered wait operations also use the thread pool. Their callback functions are queued to the thread pool.

There is one thread pool per process. The thread pool has a default size of 25 threads per available processor. The number of threads in the thread pool can be changed using the SetMaxThreads method. Each thread uses the default stack size and runs at the default priority.

Note
Unmanaged code that hosts the .NET Framework can change the size of the thread pool using the CorSetMaxThreads function, defined in the mscoree.h file.

Topic	Location
How to: Create an Asynchronous HTTP Handler	Building ASP .NET Web Applications
How to: Create an Asynchronous HTTP Handler	Building ASP .NET Web Applications
Walkthrough: Creating an Asynchronous HTTP Handler	Building ASP .NET Web Applications in Visual Studio

Example

Visual Basic

Imports System
Imports System.Threading

Public Class Example

    <MTAThread> _
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        ' Queue the task.
        ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem( _
            New WaitCallback(AddressOf ThreadProc) _
            )
        ' Note that you do not have to create the WaitCallback delegate
        ' explicitly in Visual Basic.  The following line also queues 
        ' the task:
        'ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem(AddressOf ThreadProc)
        
        Console.WriteLine("Main thread does some work, then sleeps.")
        ' If you comment out the Sleep, the main thread exits before
        ' the thread pool task runs.  The thread pool uses background
        ' threads, which do not keep the application running.  (This
        ' is a simple example of a race condition.)
        Thread.Sleep(1000)

        Console.WriteLine("Main thread exits.")
    End Sub

    ' This thread procedure performs the task.
    Shared Sub ThreadProc(stateInfo As Object)
        ' No state object was passed to QueueUserWorkItem, so 
        ' stateInfo is null.
        Console.WriteLine("Hello from the thread pool.")
    End Sub
End Class

using System;
using System.Threading;
public class Example {
    public static void Main() {
        // Queue the task.
        ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem(new WaitCallback(ThreadProc));
        
        Console.WriteLine("Main thread does some work, then sleeps.");
        // If you comment out the Sleep, the main thread exits before
        // the thread pool task runs.  The thread pool uses background
        // threads, which do not keep the application running.  (This
        // is a simple example of a race condition.)
        Thread.Sleep(1000);

        Console.WriteLine("Main thread exits.");
    }

    // This thread procedure performs the task.
    static void ThreadProc(Object stateInfo) {
        // No state object was passed to QueueUserWorkItem, so 
        // stateInfo is null.
        Console.WriteLine("Hello from the thread pool.");
    }
}

C++

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;
ref class Example
{
public:

   // This thread procedure performs the task.
   static void ThreadProc( Object^ stateInfo )
   {
      
      // No state object was passed to QueueUserWorkItem, so 
      // stateInfo is 0.
      Console::WriteLine( "Hello from the thread pool." );
   }

};

int main()
{
   
   // Queue the task.
   ThreadPool::QueueUserWorkItem( gcnew WaitCallback( Example::ThreadProc ) );
   Console::WriteLine( "Main thread does some work, then sleeps." );
   
   // If you comment out the Sleep, the main thread exits before
   // the thread pool task runs.  The thread pool uses background
   // threads, which do not keep the application running.  (This
   // is a simple example of a race condition.)
   Thread::Sleep( 1000 );
   Console::WriteLine( "Main thread exits." );
   return 0;
}

import System.*;
import System.Threading.*;
import System.Threading.Thread;

public class Example
{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // Queue the task.
        ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem(new WaitCallback(ThreadProc));
        Console.WriteLine("Main thread does some work, then sleeps.");

        // If you comment out the Sleep, the main thread exits before
        // the thread pool task runs.  The thread pool uses background
        // threads, which do not keep the application running.  (This
        // is a simple example of a race condition.)
        Thread.Sleep(1000);
        Console.WriteLine("Main thread exits.");
    } //main

    // This thread procedure performs the task.
    static void ThreadProc(Object stateInfo)
    {
        // No state object was passed to QueueUserWorkItem, so 
        // stateInfo is null.
        Console.WriteLine("Hello from the thread pool.");
    } //ThreadProc
} //Example

Inheritance Hierarchy

System.Object
System.Threading.ThreadPool

Thread Safety

Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Platforms

Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows CE, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter Edition

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see System Requirements.

Version Information