What are the differences between using multiple processes and threads in applications?

Main differences between processes and threads:

• Processes are independent instances of programs with their own memory. They are isolated from each other, which enhances security and stability, but data exchange between processes is more complex (via inter-process communication).

• Threads are lightweight units of execution within a single process, sharing the same memory. This facilitates data exchange but requires synchronization to prevent conflicts.

In Python, due to the GIL (Global Interpreter Lock), multithreading is limited when executing CPU-intensive tasks, so for parallel processing, multiple processes are often used (multiprocessing module).

Example of creating a thread and a process:

import threading
import multiprocessing

def worker():
    print('Working')

# Thread
thread = threading.Thread(target=worker)
thread.start()

# Process
process = multiprocessing.Process(target=worker)
process.start()