Difference between Thread and Process in Multithreading

In multithreading, a thread is a lightweight unit of execution within a process, while a process is a complete program in execution. The key differences between threads and processes include:

• Independence: Threads share the same memory space and resources within a process, while processes have their own memory space and resources.
• Communication: Threads can easily communicate with each other through shared memory, while inter-process communication is more complex and typically involves message passing.
• Overhead: Creating and managing threads is more efficient in terms of overhead compared to processes, as threads are lighter weight and have lower context switching costs.
• Fault Isolation: If a thread crashes, it can cause the entire process to crash. In contrast, a process crash does not affect other processes.

Understanding the distinctions between threads and processes is crucial for effective multithreading programming and resource management in software development.