Multi-threading?

Hi, I have a pretty newbie like question. Is it possible for REBOL to multi-thread? If that's what its called. Is there an example on the rebol site? For example: If a rebol script checked my inbox for messages and replied to those that were on my "friends" list it would read and reply one at a time. Is it possible to concurrently check multiple emails? Thanks! Matt

Hi Matt, << Is it possible for REBOL to multi-thread? If that's what its called. Is there an example on the rebol site? >> REBOL scripts can't be multi-threaded, in the sense of pre-emptive multi-threading like many modern OSs. Maarten Koopmans has written a lightweight threading engine for use in Rugby, which does cooperative multithreading, and I have built something similar myself. Since multi-threading often causes more problems than it solves, the real question is: Do you *need* it? << If a rebol script checked my inbox for messages and replied to those that were on my "friends" list it would read and reply one at a time. Is it possible to concurrently check multiple emails? >> In this example, given that the volume will probably be very low, what does it gain you? I.e. have you tried a regular version and found it to be inadequate in some way? Another approach, of course, is that you might build a larger system out of multiple scripts, each of which would be handled by the OS but could communicate with the others via some IPC mechanism. --Gregg

Hey Greg, thanks for the reply. <<Maarten Koopmans has written a lightweight threading engine for use in Rugby, which does cooperative multithreading, and I have built something similar myself.>> I'll take a look into Rugby. <<< If a rebol script checked my inbox for messages and replied to those that were on my "friends" list it would read and reply one at a time. Is it possible to concurrently check multiple emails? >>> <<In this example, given that the volume will probably be very low, what does it gain you?>> You're right in that for my personal mail, I shouldn't have an issue. However, what if such a solution were to be used for corporation or even as a service to the mass market were potentially hundreds of emails are being sent per minute? Matt

Hi Matt, << <<< If a rebol script checked my inbox for messages and replied to those that were on my "friends" list it would read and reply one at a time. Is it possible to concurrently check multiple emails? >>> You're right in that for my personal mail, I shouldn't have an issue. However, what if such a solution were to be used for corporation or even as a service to the mass market were potentially hundreds of emails are being sent per minute?

>>

Am Dienstag, 2. Juli 2002 07:32 schrieb Matthew Kim:

> Hey Greg, thanks for the reply. > <<Maarten Koopmans has written a lightweight threading engine for use in > as a service to the mass market were potentially hundreds of emails are > being sent per minute?

> Matt > -----Original Message----- > communicate with the others via some IPC mechanism. > --Gregg

<<Thats a problem of asynchronous io, not of multi-threading. Proof: thready Java now adds asynchronous io for performance. One thread/connection is heavy overhead. Rebol can currently do it partly. the basics are there, but the protocols have to be rewritten to use it. for selfmade protocols like rugby it works. AFAIK Holger is working on it.>> Is there a mail protocol that allows for synchronus operation? One thought I had for an asynchronus approach to my problem would be, for the REBOL script to first pull 5 emails from the inbox. From there, concurrently process the 5 emails. Is there a guide for Rugby, I think it's a little over my head (being a newbie and all). And what's thready Java? Is Java better suited for this type or operation? Sorry for all the questions guys! But thanks for all your great responses! Matt