Is there something similar to Stackless Python available in C#?

Question

Is there something similar to Stackless Python, i.e. a framework that supports continuations, microthreads and lightweight processes in C#? I know that C# 5 is going to support partially some of these features. But is there anything that can be used right now?

Answer 1

Axum is similar, but has been officially dropped as a project from Microsoft:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/devlabs/dd795202

I've got a blog post showing a basic co-routine at work:

http://adamhouldsworth.blogspot.com/2009/05/microsoft-axum-playtime.html

I have no idea if any of those ideas have been pushed across to the parallel work that went into .NET 4 or the async stuff slated for C# next.

It can be used right now, and works - but is feature incomplete in some small areas and not supported in a production environment as it's (was?) an incubation project.

Take a look at this on CodeProject (it may address your "lightweight process" requirement):

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/managediocp.aspx

Update: this link describes TPL Data Flow, more primitives added to the .NET framework in order to support agent-based programming. It again might be in the area you are interested in:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/pfxteam/archive/2010/10/28/10081950.aspx

Answer 2

My answer to this question may get you started. I use an iterator method (yield return) to implement a simple coroutine so that a sequence of animations takes place in WPF. The sequence would be able to use any kind of looping, etc. That was really only using C# 2.0 features.

Answer 3

You mean something like the parallel extensions PLINQ of the .NET framework?

AFAIK enumerator blocks in C# are much like continuations, but Iam no expert for python.