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engine_resume_thread(+Engine, ?Term)

Asynchronously resume execution of an engine
Engine
An engine handle
Term
A term passed to the engine

Description

Resume execution of the given engine in a separate thread. The predicate returns immediately, while the resumed engine enters the 'running' state. To wait for the engine to stop, and to retrieve its status, use engine_join/3.

Term is an arbitrary term, a copy of which is is passed to the resumed engine. The way the resumed engine interprets Term depends on the status it was in:

false and exception(_)
Term is interpreted as a goal, and called. This is the case for a newly created engine.
true
Term is also interpreted as a goal and called, but it forms a conjunction with the previously succeeded goals (i.e. if it fails, it backtracks into the goal given in the previous resume).
yielded(_)
Term is unified with the second argument of the yield/2 call in which the engine was stopped.
flushio(_) and waitio(_)
Term is ignored.
running and exited(_)
Engine cannot be resumed (error).
In the cases where Term is executed as a goal, note that the engine works on a copy of Term, therefore any variable bindings performed by the engine will not be visible to the caller of engine_resume_thread/2. Any results must be returned explicitly, either via yield/2, via stream communication, or via nonlogical storage.

It is recommended to use the [thread] option to create engines that are intended to be resumed with engine_resume_thread/2 -- this will create a physical thread eagerly, and any possible resource errors will show up in engine_create/2. However, if an engine was not created with this option, a thread will be created lazily the first time it is resumed with engine_resume_thread/2.

Modes and Determinism

Modules

This predicate is sensitive to its module context (tool predicate, see @/2).

Exceptions

(4) instantiation fault
Engine is not instantiated
(5) type error
Engine is not an engine handle
(180) engine not ready
Engine is busy (running)

Examples

    ?- engine_create(E, [thread]),
       engine_resume_thread(E, writeln(hello)),
       engine_join(E, block, Status).
    hello
    E = $&(engine,"375am7")
    Status = true
    Yes (0.00s cpu)

    ?- engine_create(E, [thread]),
       engine_resume_thread(E, (writeln(hello),sleep(1),writeln(done))),
       get_engine_property(E, status, Status1),
       writeln(Status1),
       engine_join(E, block, Status2).
    running
    hello
    done
    E = $&(engine,"375am7")
    Status1 = running
    Status2 = true
    Yes (0.00s cpu)

See Also

engine_create / 2, engine_resume / 3, get_engine_property / 3