Help with threads

Hello everyone! Here is the code of the Universal Turing Machine from a few text files which can execute either 1.txt or 2.txt or 3.txt or 4.txt.
I need to figure out a way how can I make this Turing Machine parallel - to make the program to execute all four text files at once. I know that it is possible to use threads, but I am not that familiar with them and cannot understand them. Any help and hints are truly appreciated!

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <string>
#include <chrono>
#include <thread>

using namespace std;
using namespace std::chrono;
using namespace std::this_thread;

void Universal_Turing_Machine(string current_state[], char current_symbol[], char new_symbol[], char direction[], string new_state[], string tape, int head, int number_of_rows)
{
	int n = tape.length();
	string next_state = "0";
	string cursor = " ";
	for (auto i = 0; i < n - 1; i++)
	{
		cursor.append(" ");
	}
	cout << n;
	cout << cursor << endl;
	cursor[head] = '^';
	while (next_state != "X")
	{
		for (auto i = 0; i < number_of_rows; i++)
		{
			if (next_state == current_state[i])
			{
				if (current_symbol[i] == tape[head])
				{
					tape[head] = new_symbol[i];
					next_state = new_state[i];
					if (next_state == "X")
					{
						break;
					}
					if (direction[i] == 'R')
					{
						cursor[head] = ' ';
						head++;
						cursor[head] = '^';
					}
					else
					{
						cursor[head] = ' ';
						head--;
						cursor[head] = '^';
					}
				}
			}
		}
		system("cls");
		cout << tape << endl;
		cout << cursor << endl;
		sleep_for(milliseconds(60));
	}
}

int main()
{
	string tape, current_state[100], new_state[100];
	int head, file = 0, number_of_rows = 0;
	char direction[100], current_symbol[100], new_symbol[100];
	ifstream fin;
	while (file > 4 || file < 1)
	{
		cout << "Choose a text file!" << endl;
		cout << "1) 1.txt\n2) 2.txt\n3) 3.txt\n4) 4.txt" << endl;
		cin >> file;
		switch (file)
		{
		case 1: { fin.open("1.txt"); break; }
		case 2: { fin.open("2.txt"); break; }
		case 3: { fin.open("3.txt"); break; }
		case 4: { fin.open("4.txt"); break; }
		default: { cout << "Your choice is unavailable! Pick between 1, 2, 3, 4!"; sleep_for(seconds(2)); system("cls"); break; }
		}
	}
	cout << "You chose " << file << ".txt!" << endl;
	fin >> head;
	fin >> tape;
	while (!fin.eof())
	{
		fin >> current_state[number_of_rows] >> current_symbol[number_of_rows] >> new_symbol[number_of_rows] >> direction[number_of_rows] >> new_state[number_of_rows];
		number_of_rows++;
	}
	fin.close();
	number_of_rows--;
	cout << "Data from the text file was read successfully!" << endl;
	sleep_for(seconds(2));
	system("cls");
	cout << tape << endl;
	Universal_Turing_Machine(current_state, current_symbol, new_symbol, direction, new_state, tape, head, number_of_rows);
}
Topic archived. No new replies allowed.