Hændelseskø

Hændelseskø, often translated as "event queue" or "message queue," is a fundamental concept in computer science and software development, particularly within the context of event-driven architectures and user interfaces. It refers to a data structure that holds events that have occurred but have not yet been processed. These events can originate from various sources, such as user input (mouse clicks, keyboard presses), system notifications, network messages, or internal program logic.

The primary function of an event queue is to manage the flow of these events to the appropriate handlers or listeners. When an event occurs, it is added to the end of the queue. A central processing loop, often called the event loop or message loop, continuously monitors the event queue. If the queue is not empty, the loop retrieves the oldest event from the front of the queue and dispatches it to the corresponding function or method responsible for handling that specific type of event.

This queuing mechanism ensures that events are processed in the order they are received, preventing race conditions and ensuring a predictable program state. It decouples the occurrence of an event from its immediate processing, allowing for asynchronous operations and a more responsive application. Without an event queue, an application might become unresponsive while waiting for a single event to be handled, or events might be lost or processed out of order, leading to unpredictable behavior. In graphical user interfaces, for example, the event queue is crucial for smooth interaction, managing the sequence of mouse movements, clicks, and keyboard inputs.