---
id: wiki-2026-0508-main-thread
title: Main Thread
category: 10_Wiki/Topics
status: verified
canonical_id: self
aliases: [Browser Main Thread, UI Thread, JS Main Thread, Event Loop Thread]
duplicate_of: none
source_trust_level: A
confidence_score: 0.94
verification_status: applied
tags: [web-performance, browser, event-loop, inp, web-worker, rendering, javascript]
raw_sources: []
last_reinforced: 2026-05-10
github_commit: pending
tech_stack: { language: javascript|typescript, framework: browser|web-worker }
---

# Main Thread

> 한 줄: 브라우저에서 JS 실행·DOM 파싱·layout·paint·이벤트 처리가 모두 도는 단일 스레드 — 막히면 INP·반응성 즉사.

## 핵심
- **Single-threaded**: JS는 main thread 위 event loop. 한 task가 길면 모두 정지.
- **Long task**: ≥50ms 작업 → INP 악화. Core Web Vitals 핵심 지표.
- **Pipeline**: parse HTML → CSSOM → JS 실행 → layout → paint → composite. 매 frame 16.7ms (60fps) 안에 끝나야.
- **분리 가능 작업**: heavy compute (CSV parse, image proc, crypto, ML) → Web Worker. DOM은 worker 불가.
- **도구**: Chrome DevTools Performance, `PerformanceObserver('longtask')`, `scheduler.yield()` (2025+).

## 결정 기준
| 작업 | 처리 |
|---|---|
| DOM 조작 | main thread (필수) — batch + virtual DOM |
| JSON parse < 1MB | main, OK |
| JSON parse > 5MB | Web Worker |
| 이미지 리사이즈 | OffscreenCanvas + Worker |
| ML 추론 | Worker + WebGPU/WASM |
| 큰 list 렌더 | virtualization (react-window, TanStack Virtual) |
| 긴 루프 | `scheduler.yield()` 또는 chunked + `setTimeout(0)` |
| 우선순위 제어 | `scheduler.postTask({priority:'background'})` |

## 💻 패턴

### Long task 측정
```js
new PerformanceObserver((list) => {
  for (const e of list.getEntries()) console.warn("longtask", e.duration, e);
}).observe({ type: "longtask", buffered: true });
```

### Yield to main thread (2025+ standard)
```js
async function processItems(items) {
  for (const item of items) {
    doWork(item);
    if (navigator.scheduling?.isInputPending() || performance.now() % 50 < 1) {
      await scheduler.yield();      // 또는 await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 0))
    }
  }
}
```

### Web Worker (module)
```js
// main.js
const worker = new Worker(new URL("./heavy.worker.js", import.meta.url), { type: "module" });
worker.postMessage({ csv: largeText });
worker.onmessage = (e) => render(e.data);

// heavy.worker.js
import Papa from "papaparse";
self.onmessage = ({ data }) => {
  const parsed = Papa.parse(data.csv, { header: true });
  self.postMessage(parsed.data);
};
```

### OffscreenCanvas (이미지/그래픽 워커화)
```js
const canvas = document.querySelector("canvas").transferControlToOffscreen();
const w = new Worker("draw.worker.js");
w.postMessage({ canvas }, [canvas]);  // transfer
```

### Scheduler API 우선순위
```js
scheduler.postTask(() => analytics.flush(), { priority: "background" });
scheduler.postTask(() => updateBadge(), { priority: "user-blocking" });
```

### React 18+ transitions (cooperative)
```jsx
import { useTransition, useDeferredValue } from "react";
const [isPending, startTransition] = useTransition();
const onChange = (v) => {
  setQuery(v);                                  // urgent
  startTransition(() => setResults(filter(v))); // non-urgent
};
```

### Long task 분할 (chunk)
```js
function chunked(items, fn, chunkSize = 100) {
  return new Promise((resolve) => {
    let i = 0;
    function step() {
      const end = Math.min(i + chunkSize, items.length);
      for (; i < end; i++) fn(items[i]);
      if (i < items.length) setTimeout(step, 0); else resolve();
    }
    step();
  });
}
```

## 🔗 Graph
- 상위: [[Web-Performance]] · [[Browser-Internals]] · [[Event-Loop]]
- 관련: [[Web-Worker]] · [[Service-Worker]] · [[OffscreenCanvas]] · [[INP]] · [[Core Web Vitals Optimization (INP, LCP, CLS)|Core-Web-Vitals]] · [[React-Concurrent]] · [[Scheduler API]]
- 도구: [[Lighthouse]]

## 🤖 LLM 활용
- DevTools flame chart를 LLM에 붙여 "어떤 long task가 INP를 망치는지" 해석 요청.
- 코드 리뷰 prompt: "이 함수가 main thread를 블록할 가능성 분석".

## ❌ 안티패턴
- **`while(true)` 폴링** — 메인 스레드 점유. requestAnimationFrame/setInterval/이벤트.
- **거대 JSON sync parse** — Worker로 이동, streaming JSON (oboe, JSON.parseAsync 제안 등).
- **DOM 조작을 루프 안에서 N번** — DocumentFragment/배치 + IntersectionObserver.
- **무거운 라이브러리 main bundle** — code split, dynamic import.
- **Worker 남용** — 작은 작업은 postMessage 오버헤드가 손해. 임계값 측정.
- **`alert/confirm/prompt`** — modal sync block. 커스텀 dialog로 대체.

## 🧪 검증 / 중복
- 중복: [[Event-Loop]], [[Web-Worker]] 별도 — 본 문서는 main thread 관점 허브.
- 검증: Lighthouse INP, RUM (web-vitals lib), Chrome DevTools "Performance" 탭 long tasks bar.

## 🕓 Changelog
- 2026-05-08 | Phase 1 — 자동 시드.
- 2026-05-10 | Manual cleanup — scheduler.yield, Worker, OffscreenCanvas, React transition 패턴 정리, INP 결정 기준 추가.
