isRunning

isRunning is a boolean indicator used in software design to signal whether a component, task, or process is currently executing or active. In code, isRunning may appear as a property, a method named isRunning(), or a function that returns a boolean. It is commonly employed to control flow, display status to users, or gate transitions between lifecycle stages.

Common targets include background workers, services, threads, asynchronous operations, or high-level workflows. In user interfaces, isRunning can drive activity indicators; in orchestration code, it can prevent reentrancy by avoiding starting a task that is already running.

Implementation often relies on a boolean flag or a derived state from a state machine. In multi-threaded environments, isRunning should be updated in a thread-safe manner, using atomic booleans, synchronization, or proper state transitions. The flag may be accompanied by isPaused, isStopped states.

Default semantics: true means the entity is actively executing; false implies idle, completed, or not yet started. Some designs include transitional states such as starting or stopping, which may temporarily yield false or a separate isStarting flag.

Be mindful of race conditions, visibility, and the fact that isRunning alone may not capture the full lifecycle. It is often better to model with an explicit state machine and expose separate predicates for specific statuses.

Naming conventions prefer isRunning for predicate-style checks; other systems may use running, isActive, or status values. The exact semantics depend on the application domain.