Python threading improvements

Development
3

Hi Michael,

In C++ it can be done with QThread. I have no examples, because the Qt/C++ apps that I work on are not open-source, but a rough outline is as follows:

First, derive a new thread class from QThread:

class MyUpdateThread : public QThread
{
  Q_OBJECT
public:
  // constructor
  MyUpdateThread(vtkAlgorithm* alg, QObject* parent = nullptr);
  // destructor
  ~MyUpdateThread();
protected:
  // called when thread is started
  void run() override;
private:
  // the algorithm provided in the constructor
  vtkAlgorithm* m_Algorithm;
};

The run() method of this class should call the Update():

void MyUpdateThread::run()
{
  m_Algorithm->Update();
}

Then your code starts the thread with myThread->start() and checks it with myThread->isFinished(), or waits for it with myThread->wait(). Ideally the thread should also implement the abort() method for when the thread must be shut down early.