What is the difference between process and thread in the context of software development?

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Answered by suresh

What is the difference between process and thread in the context of software development?

In software development, the focus keyword "process" and "thread" refer to two distinct concepts that play vital roles in managing and executing tasks within a program.

A process can be defined as an independent unit of execution that has its own memory space, resources, and state. Processes are typically used to run multiple applications simultaneously and provide isolation between different tasks. Each process has its own address space, and communication between processes is usually achieved through inter-process communication mechanisms.

On the other hand, a thread is a lightweight unit of execution within a process. Threads share the same memory space and resources as the process that spawns them, allowing for more efficient communication and data sharing. Threads are commonly used to perform parallel tasks within a single program, enabling concurrency and improving overall performance.

In summary, the main difference between process and thread lies in their level of isolation and resource sharing. Processes are independent entities with their own memory space, while threads share resources within the same process.

Understanding the distinction between processes and threads is crucial for software development, as it influences the design and performance of multi-tasking applications.

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