License
- OSI Approved :: Apache Software License
Development Status
- 5 - Production/Stable
Operating System
- OS Independent
Intended Audience
- Developers
Topic
- Software Development :: Libraries
- Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules
Programming Language
- Python :: 2.7
- Python :: 3.5
- Python :: 3.6
- Python :: 3.7
- Python :: 3.8
- Python :: 3.9
- Python :: 3.10
- Python :: 3.11
- Python :: 3.12
- Python :: 3.13
MultiTasking: Non-blocking Python methods using decorators
MultiTasking is a lightweight Python library that lets you convert your Python methods into asynchronous, non-blocking methods simply by using a decorator. Perfect for I/O-bound tasks, API calls, web scraping, and any scenario where you want to run multiple operations concurrently without the complexity of manual thread or process management.
✨ What’s New in v0.0.12
🎯 Full Type Hint Support: Complete type annotations for better IDE support and code safety
📚 Enhanced Documentation: Comprehensive docstrings and inline comments for better maintainability
🔧 Improved Error Handling: More robust exception handling with specific error types
🚀 Better Performance: Optimized task creation and management logic
🛡️ Code Quality: PEP8 compliant, linter-friendly codebase
Quick Start
import multitasking
import time
@multitasking.task
def fetch_data(url_id):
# Simulate API call or I/O operation
time.sleep(1)
return f"Data from {url_id}"
# These run concurrently, not sequentially!
for i in range(5):
fetch_data(i)
# Wait for all tasks to complete
multitasking.wait_for_tasks()
print("All data fetched!")
Basic Example
# example.py
import multitasking
import time
import random
import signal
# Kill all tasks on ctrl-c (recommended for development)
signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, multitasking.killall)
# Or, wait for tasks to finish gracefully on ctrl-c:
# signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, multitasking.wait_for_tasks)
@multitasking.task # <== this is all it takes! 🎉
def hello(count):
sleep_time = random.randint(1, 10) / 2
print(f"Hello {count} (sleeping for {sleep_time}s)")
time.sleep(sleep_time)
print(f"Goodbye {count} (slept for {sleep_time}s)")
if __name__ == "__main__":
# Launch 10 concurrent tasks
for i in range(10):
hello(i + 1)
# Wait for all tasks to complete
multitasking.wait_for_tasks()
print("All tasks completed!")
Output:
$ python example.py
Hello 1 (sleeping for 0.5s)
Hello 2 (sleeping for 1.0s)
Hello 3 (sleeping for 5.0s)
Hello 4 (sleeping for 0.5s)
Hello 5 (sleeping for 2.5s)
Hello 6 (sleeping for 3.0s)
Hello 7 (sleeping for 0.5s)
Hello 8 (sleeping for 4.0s)
Hello 9 (sleeping for 3.0s)
Hello 10 (sleeping for 1.0s)
Goodbye 1 (slept for 0.5s)
Goodbye 4 (slept for 0.5s)
Goodbye 7 (slept for 0.5s)
Goodbye 2 (slept for 1.0s)
Goodbye 10 (slept for 1.0s)
Goodbye 5 (slept for 2.5s)
Goodbye 6 (slept for 3.0s)
Goodbye 9 (slept for 3.0s)
Goodbye 8 (slept for 4.0s)
Goodbye 3 (slept for 5.0s)
All tasks completed!
Advanced Usage
Real-World Examples
Web Scraping with Concurrent Requests:
import multitasking
import requests
import signal
signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, multitasking.killall)
@multitasking.task
def fetch_url(url):
try:
response = requests.get(url, timeout=10)
print(f"✅ {url}: {response.status_code}")
return response.text
except Exception as e:
print(f"❌ {url}: {str(e)}")
return None
# Fetch multiple URLs concurrently
urls = [
"https://httpbin.org/delay/1",
"https://httpbin.org/delay/2",
"https://httpbin.org/status/200",
"https://httpbin.org/json"
]
for url in urls:
fetch_url(url)
multitasking.wait_for_tasks()
print(f"Processed {len(urls)} URLs concurrently!")
Database Operations:
import multitasking
import sqlite3
import time
@multitasking.task
def process_batch(batch_id, data_batch):
# Simulate database processing
conn = sqlite3.connect(f'batch_{batch_id}.db')
# ... database operations ...
conn.close()
print(f"Processed batch {batch_id} with {len(data_batch)} records")
# Process multiple data batches concurrently
large_dataset = list(range(1000))
batch_size = 100
for i in range(0, len(large_dataset), batch_size):
batch = large_dataset[i:i + batch_size]
process_batch(i // batch_size, batch)
multitasking.wait_for_tasks()
Pool Management
MultiTasking uses execution pools to manage concurrent tasks. You can create and configure multiple pools for different types of operations:
import multitasking
# Create a pool for API calls (higher concurrency)
multitasking.createPool("api_pool", threads=20, engine="thread")
# Create a pool for CPU-intensive tasks (lower concurrency)
multitasking.createPool("cpu_pool", threads=4, engine="process")
# Switch between pools
multitasking.use_tag("api_pool") # Future tasks use this pool
@multitasking.task
def api_call(endpoint):
# This will use the api_pool
pass
# Get pool information
pool_info = multitasking.getPool("api_pool")
print(f"Pool: {pool_info}") # {'engine': 'thread', 'name': 'api_pool', 'threads': 20}
Task Monitoring
Monitor and control your tasks with built-in functions:
import multitasking
import time
@multitasking.task
def long_running_task(task_id):
time.sleep(2)
print(f"Task {task_id} completed")
# Start some tasks
for i in range(5):
long_running_task(i)
# Monitor active tasks
while multitasking.get_active_tasks():
active_count = len(multitasking.get_active_tasks())
total_count = len(multitasking.get_list_of_tasks())
print(f"Progress: {total_count - active_count}/{total_count} completed")
time.sleep(0.5)
print("All tasks finished!")
Configuration & Settings
Thread/Process Limits
The default maximum threads equals the number of CPU cores. You can customize this:
import multitasking
# Set maximum concurrent tasks
multitasking.set_max_threads(10)
# Scale based on CPU cores (good rule of thumb for I/O-bound tasks)
multitasking.set_max_threads(multitasking.config["CPU_CORES"] * 5)
# Unlimited concurrent tasks (use carefully!)
multitasking.set_max_threads(0)
Execution Engine Selection
Choose between threading and multiprocessing based on your use case:
import multitasking
# For I/O-bound tasks (default, recommended for most cases)
multitasking.set_engine("thread")
# For CPU-bound tasks (avoids GIL limitations)
multitasking.set_engine("process")
When to use threads vs processes:
Threads (default): Best for I/O-bound tasks like file operations, network requests, database queries
Processes: Best for CPU-intensive tasks like mathematical computations, image processing, data analysis
Advanced Pool Configuration
Create specialized pools for different workloads:
import multitasking
# Fast pool for quick API calls
multitasking.createPool("fast_api", threads=50, engine="thread")
# CPU pool for heavy computation
multitasking.createPool("compute", threads=2, engine="process")
# Unlimited pool for lightweight tasks
multitasking.createPool("unlimited", threads=0, engine="thread")
# Get current pool info
current_pool = multitasking.getPool()
print(f"Using pool: {current_pool['name']}")
Best Practices
Performance Tips
Choose the right engine: Use threads for I/O-bound tasks, processes for CPU-bound tasks
Tune thread counts: Start with CPU cores × 2-5 for I/O tasks, CPU cores for CPU tasks
Use pools wisely: Create separate pools for different types of operations
Monitor memory usage: Each thread/process consumes memory
Handle exceptions: Always wrap risky operations in try-catch blocks
Error Handling
import multitasking
import requests
@multitasking.task
def robust_fetch(url):
try:
response = requests.get(url, timeout=10)
response.raise_for_status()
return response.json()
except requests.exceptions.Timeout:
print(f"⏰ Timeout fetching {url}")
except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
print(f"❌ Error fetching {url}: {e}")
except Exception as e:
print(f"💥 Unexpected error: {e}")
return None
Resource Management
import multitasking
import signal
# Graceful shutdown on interrupt
def cleanup_handler(signum, frame):
print("🛑 Shutting down gracefully...")
multitasking.wait_for_tasks()
print("✅ All tasks completed")
exit(0)
signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, cleanup_handler)
# Your application code here...
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Tasks not running concurrently? Check if you’re calling wait_for_tasks() inside your task loop instead of after it.
High memory usage? Reduce the number of concurrent threads or switch to a process-based engine.
Tasks hanging? Ensure your tasks can complete (avoid infinite loops) and handle exceptions properly.
Import errors? Make sure you’re using Python 3.6+ and have installed the latest version.
Debugging
import multitasking
# Enable task monitoring
active_tasks = multitasking.get_active_tasks()
all_tasks = multitasking.get_list_of_tasks()
print(f"Active: {len(active_tasks)}, Total: {len(all_tasks)}")
# Get current pool configuration
pool_info = multitasking.getPool()
print(f"Current pool: {pool_info}")
Installation
Requirements: - Python 3.6 or higher - No external dependencies!
Install via pip:
$ pip install multitasking --upgrade --no-cache-dir
Development installation:
$ git clone https://github.com/ranaroussi/multitasking.git
$ cd multitasking
$ pip install -e .
Compatibility
Python: 3.6+ (type hints require 3.6+)
Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
Environments: Works in Jupyter notebooks, scripts, web applications
Frameworks: Compatible with Flask, Django, FastAPI, and other Python frameworks
API Reference
Decorators
@multitasking.task - Convert function to asynchronous task
Configuration Functions
set_max_threads(count) - Set maximum concurrent tasks
set_engine(type) - Choose “thread” or “process” engine
createPool(name, threads, engine) - Create custom execution pool
Task Management
wait_for_tasks(sleep=0) - Wait for all tasks to complete
get_active_tasks() - Get list of running tasks
get_list_of_tasks() - Get list of all tasks
killall() - Emergency shutdown (force exit)
Pool Management
getPool(name=None) - Get pool information
createPool(name, threads=None, engine=None) - Create new pool
Performance Benchmarks
Here’s a simple benchmark comparing synchronous vs asynchronous execution:
import multitasking
import time
import requests
# Synchronous version
def sync_fetch():
start = time.time()
for i in range(10):
requests.get("https://httpbin.org/delay/1")
print(f"Synchronous: {time.time() - start:.2f}s")
# Asynchronous version
@multitasking.task
def async_fetch():
requests.get("https://httpbin.org/delay/1")
def concurrent_fetch():
start = time.time()
for i in range(10):
async_fetch()
multitasking.wait_for_tasks()
print(f"Concurrent: {time.time() - start:.2f}s")
# Results: Synchronous ~10s, Concurrent ~1s (10x speedup!)
Contributing
We welcome contributions! Here’s how you can help:
Report bugs: Open an issue with details and reproduction steps
Suggest features: Share your ideas for improvements
Submit PRs: Fork, create a feature branch, and submit a pull request
Improve docs: Help make the documentation even better
Development setup:
$ git clone https://github.com/ranaroussi/multitasking.git
$ cd multitasking
$ pip install -e .
$ python -m pytest # Run tests
Legal Stuff
MultiTasking is distributed under the Apache Software License. See the LICENSE.txt file in the release for details.
Support
📖 Documentation: This README and inline code documentation
🐛 Issues: GitHub Issues
🐦 Twitter: @aroussi
Happy Multitasking! 🚀
Please drop me a note with any feedback you have.
Ran Aroussi