Windows Threading: Which Function Should I Use: _beginthread, _beginthreadex, or CreateThread?

Windows Threading: Unveiling the Differences Between _beginthread, _beginthreadex, and CreateThread for C

When embarking on the journey of creating new threads in a Windows application, developers are faced with a pivotal decision: which function to utilize from the trio of _beginthread, _beginthreadex, and CreateThread. While all three functions ultimately achieve the goal of launching a new thread, they possess distinct characteristics and nuances that should be meticulously considered before making a selection.

To begin, it's essential to comprehend the fundamental role of CreateThread(). This function serves as the cornerstone of the Windows API for thread creation, directly invoking the operating system's thread creation mechanism. In essence, CreateThread() offers a raw interface to the lower-level kernel operations responsible for creating new threads of execution.

In contrast, _beginthread and _beginthreadex are C runtime library (CRT) functions that encapsulate the functionality of CreateThread() along with additional capabilities. These CRT functions provide a higher level of abstraction, handling the intricacies of thread creation and initialization for C and C programs.

Generally, when developing C applications, _beginthreadex should be the preferred choice over _beginthread or CreateThread(). This stems from several key advantages. Firstly, _beginthreadex automatically initializes the necessary CRT structures in the newly created thread, ensuring that the C runtime environment can function correctly within the thread. Moreover, _beginthreadex allows for the specification of a security attribute parameter, providing finer control over the security settings applied to the thread.

CreateThread(), on the other hand, may be more appropriate in scenarios where direct access to the raw Win32 thread creation API is required. Such situations may arise when implementing custom thread management mechanisms or integrating with external libraries that expect low-level thread control.

Furthermore, it's worth noting that while _beginthread is still supported, it lacks the security parameter option present in _beginthreadex. Therefore, unless compatibility with antiquated code is a concern, _beginthreadex should be selected over _beginthread for modern C applications.

Lastly, regarding the question about using WaitForSingleObject() with _beginthread(), the issue arises because _beginthread does not provide a handle to the newly created thread. Alternatively, _beginthreadex does return a thread handle, enabling the use of WaitForSingleObject() and other synchronization primitives. To ensure thread synchronization when using _beginthread, it is recommended to employ alternative synchronization mechanisms, such as events or atomic variables.

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