Programmer's Guide to Java™ Certification, A: A Comprehensive Primer, Second Edition

9.1. Multitasking

Multitasking allows several activities to occur concurrently on the computer. A distinction is usually made between:

• Process-based multitasking

• Thread-based multitasking

At the coarse-grain level there is process-based multitasking, which allows processes (i.e., programs) to run concurrently on the computer. A familiar example is running the spreadsheet program while also working with the word-processor. At the fine-grain level there is thread-based multitasking, which allows parts of the same program to run concurrently on the computer. A familiar example is a word-processor that is printing and formatting text at the same time. This is only feasible if the two tasks are performed by two independent paths of execution at runtime. ...