---
title: Introduction
framework: cocoa
role: article
path: apple-archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/Multithreading/Introduction
---

# Introduction

Explains how to use threads in Cocoa applications.

## Organization of This Document

This document has the following chapters and appendixes:

- [About Threaded Programming](../AboutThreads/AboutThreads.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000057i-CH6-SW2) introduces the concept of threads and their role in application design. - [Thread Management](../CreatingThreads/CreatingThreads.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000057i-CH15-SW2) provides information about the threading technologies in OS X and how you use them. - [Run Loops](../RunLoopManagement/RunLoopManagement.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000057i-CH16-SW1) provides information about how to manage event-processing loops in secondary threads. - [Synchronization](../ThreadSafety/ThreadSafety.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000057i-CH8-SW1) describes synchronization issues and the tools you use to prevent multiple threads from corrupting data or crashing your program. - [Thread Safety Summary](../ThreadSafetySummary/ThreadSafetySummary.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000057i-CH12-SW1) provides a high-level summary of the inherent thread safety of OS X and iOS and some of their key frameworks.

## See Also

For information about the alternatives to threads, see *[Concurrency Programming Guide](../../../../General/Conceptual/ConcurrencyProgrammingGuide/Introduction/Introduction.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40008091)*.

This document provides only a light coverage of the use of the POSIX threads API. For more information about the available POSIX thread routines, see the `pthread` man page. For a more in-depth explanation of POSIX threads and their usage, see *Programming with POSIX Threads* by David R. Butenhof.

[Next](../AboutThreads/AboutThreads.html)

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