On threads and constructors

[techiepundit]

I have a class:

class ServerThreadManager(threading.Thread):
def __init__(self):
threading.Thread.__init__(self)
# and a bunch of constructor statements

def run(self):
self.ReqHandlingLoop()

# and a bunch of other methods

ServerObj = ServerThreadManager()
print "starting ServerThreadManager"
ServerObj.start()

ServerObj.KeyboardWatcherLoop()

Here's what I want to know:

1) In __init__ I added that other __init__ call from a post here or
from an article on a web page. Does that make sense to do? Why is it
necessary? Do parent constructors always run in Python? If so, before
or after child constructors?

2) Can I assume that constructors run to completion before returning
and that my later call to start() happens after the constructor
finished?

3) I'm having weird problems with an assignment in the constructor that
make me wonder whether I need to know more about thread locks. I do
this:
self.AcceptListenerSocket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET,
socket.SOCK_STREAM)
self.SocketList = [self.AcceptListenerSocket] # We start out
with a single socket in our list.
print "len(self.SocketList) = %d" % len(self.SocketList)
self.SocketPacketFragmentsList = []
print "len(self.SocketPacketFragmentsList) = %d" %
len(self.SocketPacketFragmentsList)

self.SocketPacketFragmentsList.append([self.AcceptListenerSocket,''])
print "len(self.SocketPacketFragmentsList) = %d" %
len(self.SocketPacketFragmentsList)

Note how I do:
self.SocketPacketFragmentsList = []
and then

self.SocketPacketFragmentsList.append([self.AcceptListenerSocket,''])

That works in the sense that I get a length of 1 in the list after the
append. But I originally did this which did not generate a runtime
error but which left the tested list length at 0:
self.SocketPacketFragmentsList =
[[self.AcceptListenerSocket,'']]

The result when tested is len == 0. Why didn't that work? With simpler
types at the Python command line that sort of nested list assignment
worked.

Also, downstream from the append when I test the
self.SocketPacketFragmentsList's length in the started thread it is len
== 0 again. Yet self.SocketList keeps being len == 1 as I expected.

I understand STL and threads over in C++ and write really complex stuff
in C++. But in Python I'm a beginner fighting to do the same sorts of
things and having a rough time of it. Newbieism is no fun.

 

[Peter Hansen]

I have a class:

class ServerThreadManager(threading.Thread):
def __init__(self):
threading.Thread.__init__(self)
# and a bunch of constructor statements

def run(self):
self.ReqHandlingLoop()

# and a bunch of other methods

ServerObj = ServerThreadManager()
print "starting ServerThreadManager"
ServerObj.start()

ServerObj.KeyboardWatcherLoop()

Here's what I want to know:

1) In __init__ I added that other __init__ call from a post here or
from an article on a web page. Does that make sense to do? Why is it
necessary? Do parent constructors always run in Python? If so, before
or after child constructors?

Think of them as "initializers" rather than constructors, since the
object is already created by the time they are called. In any case,
they are never run implicitly if you define an __init__ in the child
class: you must run them explicitly. Since threading.Thread does
important things in its initializer, you must call it as that web page
noted.

(Note that because of this, *you* can control when you call the parent
initializer, whether at the start, end, or middle of your child class
initializer.)

2) Can I assume that constructors run to completion before returning
and that my later call to start() happens after the constructor
finished?

Yes, the call to the class (e.g. ServerThreadManager()) doesn't return
until the object is fully constructed and initialized.

3) I'm having weird problems with an assignment in the constructor that
make me wonder whether I need to know more about thread locks. I do
this: ....
Note how I do:
self.SocketPacketFragmentsList = []
and then

self.SocketPacketFragmentsList.append([self.AcceptListenerSocket,''])

That works in the sense that I get a length of 1 in the list after the
append. But I originally did this which did not generate a runtime
error but which left the tested list length at 0:
self.SocketPacketFragmentsList =
[[self.AcceptListenerSocket,'']]

The result when tested is len == 0.

No, it's not.

Why didn't that work?

It did work. Try it again. If it still looks like it's not
working, either you're not really doing that, or you are doing the test
incorrectly. How and where are you finding the length?

Also, downstream from the append when I test the
self.SocketPacketFragmentsList's length in the started thread it is len
== 0 again. Yet self.SocketList keeps being len == 1 as I expected.

Something removing the contents from the list? Or rebinding the name?
Trying printing id(self.SocketPacketFragmentsList) immediately after
creating the list, then again later where you think the length is now
zero. If they show the same value, something is removing the contents
of the list between the two prints.

-Peter