What is the difference between a process and a thread in multithreading?

What is the difference between a process and a thread in multithreading?

In multithreading, a process and a thread are both elements of program execution that can run concurrently. However, there are key differences between the two:

Process:

• A process is an independent entity with its memory space, resources, and state. It represents a complete system task that can execute multiple instructions simultaneously.
• Processes have a higher level of isolation and are less likely to interfere with each other's memory or resources.
• Processes are heavyweight in terms of resource usage and switching between processes can be slower.

Thread:

• A thread is a lightweight entity within a process that shares the same memory space and resources as other threads in the same process.
• Threads within a process can communicate with each other more easily and can share data directly.
• Threads are faster to create and terminate compared to processes, and switching between threads is more efficient.

In summary, processes are independent, isolated units of execution, while threads are lightweight entities that exist within a process and share its resources. Understanding the difference between processes and threads is crucial for efficient and effective multithreading programming.