If you're writing a GUI application and you want the interface to feel "responsive" to the user then you need the code that response to UI events to be short and fast. Similarly, if you are handling network I/O you may not want the processing of one request to prevent the system receiving further input.
If the work to be done in response to an event is complex and time consuming then you can maintain the "responsiveness" of the system by passing the work off to a background thread.
This talk will look at the ways of doing this, including managing ongoing work, providing progress updates, and cancelling work if it is no longer needed.
