Warning

This section contains snippets that were automatically translated from C++ to Python and may contain errors.

Concurrent Run

A simple way to run a task in a separate thread.

The QtConcurrent::run() function runs a function in a separate thread. The return value of the function is made available through the QFuture API.

QtConcurrent::run() is an overloaded method. You can think of these overloads as slightly different modes. In basic mode , the function passed to QtConcurrent::run() is able to report merely a single computation result to its caller. In run with promise mode , the function passed to QtConcurrent::run() can make use of the additional QPromise API, which enables multiple result reporting, progress reporting, suspending the computation when requested by the caller, or stopping the computation on the caller’s demand.

This function is a part of the Qt Concurrent framework.

Concurrent Run (basic mode)

The function passed to QtConcurrent::run() may report the result through its return value.

Running a Function in a Separate Thread

To run a function in another thread, use QtConcurrent::run():

extern void aFunction()
future = QtConcurrent.run(aFunction)

This will run aFunction in a separate thread obtained from the default QThreadPool . You can use the QFuture and QFutureWatcher classes to monitor the status of the function.

To use a dedicated thread pool, you can pass the QThreadPool as the first argument:

extern void aFunction()
pool = QThreadPool()
future = QtConcurrent.run(pool, aFunction)

Passing Arguments to the Function

Passing arguments to the function is done by adding them to the QtConcurrent::run() call immediately after the function name. For example:

extern void aFunctionWithArguments(int arg1, float arg2, QString string)
integer = ...
floatingPoint = ...
string = ...
future = QtConcurrent.run(aFunctionWithArguments, integer, floatingPoint, string)

A copy of each argument is made at the point where QtConcurrent::run() is called, and these values are passed to the thread when it begins executing the function. Changes made to the arguments after calling QtConcurrent::run() are not visible to the thread.

Note that run does not support calling overloaded functions directly. For example, the code below won’t compile:

def foo(arg):
def foo(arg1, arg2):
...
future = QtConcurrent.run(foo, 42)

The easiest workaround is to call the overloaded function through lambda:

QFuture<void> future = QtConcurrent.run([] { foo(42); })

Or you can tell the compiler which overload to choose by using a static_cast:

future = QtConcurrent.run(void(*)(int)(foo), 42)

Or qOverload :

future = QtConcurrent.run(qOverload<int>(foo), 42)

Returning Values from the Function

Any return value from the function is available via QFuture :

QString = extern()
future = QtConcurrent.run(functionReturningAString)
...
result = future.result()

As documented above, passing arguments is done like this:

extern QString someFunction(QByteArray input)
bytearray = ...
future = QtConcurrent.run(someFunction, bytearray)
...
result = future.result()

Note that the result() function blocks and waits for the result to become available. Use QFutureWatcher to get notification when the function has finished execution and the result is available.

Additional API Features

Using Member Functions

QtConcurrent::run() also accepts pointers to member functions. The first argument must be either a const reference or a pointer to an instance of the class. Passing by const reference is useful when calling const member functions; passing by pointer is useful for calling non-const member functions that modify the instance.

For example, calling split() (a const member function) in a separate thread is done like this:

# call 'QList<QByteArray>  QByteArray::split(char sep) const' in a separate thread
bytearray = "hello world"
> future = QtConcurrent.run(QByteArray.split, bytearray, ' ')
...
result = future.result()

Calling a non-const member function is done like this:

# call 'void QImage::invertPixels(InvertMode mode)' in a separate thread
image = ...
future = QtConcurrent.run(QImage.invertPixels, image, QImage.InvertRgba)
...
future.waitForFinished()
# At this point, the pixels in 'image' have been inverted

Using Lambda Functions

Calling a lambda function is done like this:

QFuture<void> future = QtConcurrent.run([=]() {
    # Code in this block will run in another thread
})
...

Calling a function modifies an object passed by reference is done like this:

def addOne(n): ++n
...
n = 42
QtConcurrent.run(addOne, std.ref(n)).waitForFinished() # n == 43

Using callable object is done like this:

class TestClass():

    def operator(s1): s = s1
    s = 42

...
o = TestClass()
# Modify original object
QtConcurrent.run(std.ref(o), 15).waitForFinished() # o.s == 15
# Modify a copy of the original object
QtConcurrent.run(o, 42).waitForFinished() # o.s == 15
# Use a temporary object
QtConcurrent.run(TestClass(), 42).waitForFinished()
# Ill-formed
QtConcurrent.run(o, 42).waitForFinished() # compilation error

Concurrent Run With Promise

The Run With Promise mode enables more control for the running task compared to basic mode of QtConcurrent::run(). It allows progress reporting of the running task, reporting multiple results, suspending the execution if it was requested, or canceling the task on caller’s demand.

The mandatory QPromise argument

The function passed to QtConcurrent::run() in Run With Promise mode is expected to have an additional argument of QPromise<T> & type, where T is the type of the computation result (it should match the type T of QFuture <T> returned by QtConcurrent::run()), like e.g.:

extern void aFunction(QPromise<void> promise)
future = QtConcurrent.run(aFunction)

The promise argument is instantiated inside the QtConcurrent::run() function, and its reference is passed to the invoked aFunction, so the user doesn’t need to instantiate it, nor pass it explicitly when calling QtConcurrent::run() in this mode.

The additional argument of QPromise type always needs to appear as a first argument on function’s arguments list, like:

extern void aFunction(QPromise<void> promise, int arg1, QString arg2)
integer = ...
string = ...
future = QtConcurrent.run(aFunction, integer, string)

Reporting results

In contrast to basic mode of QtConcurrent::run(), the function passed to QtConcurrent::run() in Run With Promise mode is expected to always return void type. Result reporting is done through the additional argument of QPromise type. It also enables multiple result reporting, like:

def helloWorldFunction(promise):

    promise.addResult("Hello")
    promise.addResult("world")

future = QtConcurrent.run(helloWorldFunction)
...
results = future.results()

Note

There’s no need to call start() and finish() to indicate the beginning and the end of computation (like you would normally do when using QPromise ). QtConcurrent::run() will always call them before starting and after finishing the execution.

Suspending and canceling the execution

The QPromise API also enables suspending and canceling the computation, if requested:

def aFunction(promise):

    for i in range(0, 100):
        promise.suspendIfRequested()
        if promise.isCanceled():
            return
        # computes the next result, may be time consuming like 1 second
        res = ...
        promise.addResult(res)


future = QtConcurrent.run(aFunction)
... // user pressed a pause button after 10 seconds
future.suspend()
... // user pressed a resume button after 10 seconds
future.resume()
... // user pressed a cancel button after 10 seconds
future.cancel()

The call to future.suspend() requests the running task to hold its execution. After calling this method, the running task will suspend after the next call to promise.suspendIfRequested() in its iteration loop. In this case the running task will block on a call to promise.suspendIfRequested(). The blocked call will unblock after the future.resume() is called. Note, that internally suspendIfRequested() uses wait condition in order to unblock, so the running thread goes into an idle state instead of wasting its resources when blocked in order to periodically check if the resume request came from the caller’s thread.

The call to future.cancel() from the last line causes that the next call to promise.isCanceled() will return true and aFunction will return immediately without any further result reporting.

Note

There’s no need to call finish() to stop the computation after the cancellation (like you would normally do when using QPromise ). QtConcurrent::run() will always call it after finishing the execution.

Progress reporting

It’s also possible to report the progress of a task independently of result reporting, like:

def aFunction(promise):

    promise.setProgressRange(0, 100)
    result = 0
    for i in range(0, 100):
        # computes some part of the task
        part = ...
        result += part
        promise.setProgressValue(i)

    promise.addResult(result)

watcher = QFutureWatcher()
watcher.progressValueChanged.connect([](int progress){
    ... # update GUI with a progress
    print("current progress:", progress)
})
watcher.setFuture(QtConcurrent.run(aFunction))

The caller installs the QFutureWatcher for the QFuture returned by QtConcurrent::run() in order to connect to its progressValueChanged() signal and update e.g. the graphical user interface accordingly.

Invoking functions with overloaded operator()()

By default, QtConcurrent::run() doesn’t support functors with overloaded operator()() in Run With Promise mode. In case of overloaded functors the user needs to explicitly specify the result type as a template parameter passed to QtConcurrent::run(), like:

class Functor():
    def operator():
    def operator():

Functor f
run<double>(f) # this will select the 2nd overload
# run(f);      // error, both candidate overloads potentially match