ThreadBasicInformation

ThreadBasicInformation is a structure used in Windows operating systems to retrieve basic information about a thread. It is typically populated by the NtQueryInformationThread function when a specific information class, ThreadBasicInformation, is requested. This structure is part of the Native NT API, which provides a lower-level interface to the operating system than the Win32 API.

The ThreadBasicInformation structure contains several key members. The Tcb field provides a pointer to the thread's kernel object, containing more detailed thread-specific information. The CreateTime member records the precise time the thread was created, useful for performance monitoring or debugging. The ExitStatus field indicates the thread's termination status, which is important for understanding why a thread might have ended. Finally, the Flags member is a bitmask that encodes various attributes and states of the thread, such as whether it is suspended or has exited.

Accessing ThreadBasicInformation directly through NtQueryInformationThread is generally reserved for advanced development scenarios, such as kernel-mode drivers or sophisticated debugging tools. While the information it provides is fundamental to thread management, higher-level Win32 APIs often abstract these details for ease of use. Developers typically interact with thread information through functions like GetThreadTimes or Thread32First/Thread32Next in the Tool Help Library, which are built upon the underlying native structures like ThreadBasicInformation. Understanding this structure can be beneficial for those seeking a deeper comprehension of Windows thread internals.