Under the .NET platform, the System.Threading namespace provides a number of types that enable the direct construction of multithreaded applications. In addition to providing types that allow you to interact with a particular CLR thread, this namespace defines types that allow access to the CLR maintained thread pool, a simple (non–GUI-based) Timer class, and numerous types used to provide synchronized access to shared resources. Table 19-1 lists some of the core members of this namespace. (Be sure to consult the .NET Framework 4.0 SDK documentation for full details.)
Table 19-1. Select Types of the System.Threading Namespace
| Type | Meaning in Life |
|---|---|
| Interlocked | This type provides atomic operations for variables that are shared by multiple threads. |
| Monitor | This type provides the synchronization of threading objects using locks and wait/signals. The C# lock keyword makes use of a Monitor object under the hood. |
| Mutex | This synchronization primitive can be used for synchronization between application domain boundaries. |
| ParameterizedThreadStart | This delegate allows a thread to call methods that take any number of arguments. |
| Semaphore | This type allows you to limit the number of threads that can access a resource, or a particular type of resource, concurrently. |
| Thread | This type represents a thread that executes within the CLR. Using this type, you are able to spawn additional threads in the originating AppDomain. |
| ThreadPool | This type allows you to interact with the CLR-maintained thread pool within a given process. |
| ThreadPriority | This enum represents a thread’s priority level (Highest, Normal, etc.). |
| ThreadStart | This delegate is used to specify the method to call for a given thread. Unlike the ParameterizedThreadStart delegate, targets of ThreadStart must always have the same prototype. |
| ThreadState | This enum specifies the valid states a thread may take (Running, Aborted, etc.). |
| Timer | This type provides a mechanism for executing a method at specified intervals. |
| TimerCallback | This delegate type is used in conjunction with Timer types. |