Passing Instance Method to Thread in C#

Question

4.00/5 (1 vote)

See more:

I want to run two methods from another class simultaneously. Obviously, the code below will not work. How can I do something like this?

C#

Node node = new Node();
EHNode ehnode = new EHNode();

Thread normalNode = new Thread(node.RunNode());
Thread ehNode = new Thread(ehnode.RunNode());

normalNode.Start();
ehNode.Start();

Posted 12-Mar-13 19:31pm

Nico Encarnacion

Add a Solution

Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 13-Mar-13 1:49am

Event though this is formulated in somewhat naive way (but maybe very expressive), this is an interesting and important question. (I up-voted it with 4.) I have a good answer to it.
—SA

2 solutions

Add a Solution

Add your solution here

Treat my content as plain text, not as HTML

Preview 0

…

Existing Members

Sign in to your account

...or Join us

Download, Vote, Comment, Publish.

Your Email
Password
Forgot your password?

Your Email
This email is in use. Do you need your password?
Optional Password

I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Please subscribe me to the CodeProject newsletters

When answering a question please:

Read the question carefully.
Understand that English isn't everyone's first language so be lenient of bad spelling and grammar.
If a question is poorly phrased then either ask for clarification, ignore it, or edit the question and fix the problem. Insults are not welcome.
Don't tell someone to read the manual. Chances are they have and don't get it. Provide an answer or move on to the next question.

Let's work to help developers, not make them feel stupid.

This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Answer 1 · 2013-03-12T19:54:00

Solution 1

Yes, the question is interesting. My method of solving such problem is using a thread wrapper. The idea is: pass "this" to the thread, which is the reference to the wrapper. This will open all the instance members (not only instance methods) of the wrapper to the thread code. (Don't forget to use thread synchronization if you share any of them, but a thread wrapper also helps to encapsulate the synchronization primitives nicely.)

For further detail, please see my past answers, complete with code samples:
http://www.codeproject.com/Answers/155852/How-to-pass-ref-parameter-to-the-thread#answer2[^],
http://www.codeproject.com/Answers/223412/change-paramters-of-thread-producer-after-it-start#answer1[^],
http://www.codeproject.com/Answers/485734/MultiThreadingplusinplusC-23#answer4[^].

Did you get the idea?

—SA

Posted 12-Mar-13 19:54pm

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Comments

Nico Encarnacion 13-Mar-13 13:05pm

Hey Sergey, thanks for your answer. However, I received an answer from another forum, implemented it, and it worked just the way I wanted it to. Here's the simple solution:

Thread normalNode = new Thread(new ThreadStart(node.RunNode));
Thread ehNode = new Thread(new ThreadStart(ehnode.RunNode));

But can you further explain what the difference is between this solution and yours? :)

Thanks!!!

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 13-Mar-13 13:34pm

I already explain everything. You have access to all instance methods of the wrapper at once. Moreover, you can encapsulate thread synchronization inside wrapper, so every public or internal method will be synchronized between threads in a way invisible by the user but excluding a mistake.

My method is so beneficial that your simple alternative makes no sense. Passing anything else to ThreadStart has the following potential vulnerability: you have to down-cast the passed parameter.

I suggest you use my method, because you always have the chance that modify your code. The method you use contradicts the open-close principle and thus bad for support as more error-prone. Pretty obvious.
I also suggest you learn and understand my method and accept my answer formally (green button).
—SA

Bernhard Hiller · Answer 2 · 2013-03-12T22:13:00

Solution 2

Do you have the sources for Node and EHNode, resp.? Then you could add a method StartRunNode() which creates a new thread with RunNode(), starts it, and returns to the caller.

Posted 12-Mar-13 22:13pm

Bernhard Hiller