> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://0x29a.gitbook.io/0x29a-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://0x29a.gitbook.io/0x29a-docs/runtime/thread.md).

# thread

**runtime · global: `thread`**

Real native threads, each with its **own Lua state** (created via `Engine::MakeState`) — they never share the console's state or another script's, so there's no need for manual locking around pure-Lua logic inside the thread.

### `thread.create(code) -> id | nil`

Compiles and runs the string `code` as a Lua chunk, on a new thread. Returns a numeric `id`, or `nil` if the thread couldn't be created.

```lua
local id = thread.create([[
    while not thread.should_stop() do
        -- heavy work that can't block the render frame
        thread.sleep(50)
    end
]])
```

### `thread.sleep(ms)`

Blocks the current thread for `ms` milliseconds. Only makes sense inside a thread created by `thread.create` — never call this on the main state/console (it freezes the whole overlay).

### `thread.should_stop() -> bool`

`true` once the current thread has been signaled to stop (via `thread.stop`). Your loop should check this periodically to exit cleanly.

### `thread.id() -> integer`

The current thread's ID, or `0` when called from the main state/console.

### `thread.stop(id) -> bool`

Signals thread `id` to stop and waits up to 3s for it to finish before releasing its resources. Calling it with the current thread's own `id` just signals (avoids a self-join deadlock).

### `thread.stop_all()`

Stops and releases every active thread.

### `thread.list() -> [id]`

IDs of every currently running thread.

## Clean shutdown

If the thread's chunk defines a global function `__neuro_on_stop`, it's called automatically **before** the thread's Lua state is closed — ideal for freeing native buffers allocated with `mem.alloc` or removing hooks installed only by that thread.

```lua
thread.create([[
    local buf = mem.alloc(256)

    function __neuro_on_stop()
        mem.free(buf)
    end

    while not thread.should_stop() do
        thread.sleep(100)
    end
]])
```


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