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thread/doc/barrier-ref.xml

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE library PUBLIC "-//Boost//DTD BoostBook XML V1.0//EN"
"http://www.boost.org/tools/boostbook/dtd/boostbook.dtd" [
<!ENTITY % threads.entities SYSTEM "entities.xml">
%threads.entities;
]>
<header name="boost/thread/barrier.hpp"
last-revision="$Date$">
<namespace name="boost">
<class name="barrier">
<inherit access="private">
<type><classname>boost::noncopyable</classname></type>
<purpose>Exposition only</purpose>
</inherit>
<purpose>
<para>An object of class <classname>barrier</classname> is a synchronization
primitive used to cause a set of threads to wait until they each perform a
certain function or each reach a particular point in their execution.</para>
</purpose>
<description>
<para>When a barrier is created, it is initialized with a thread count N.
The first N-1 calls to <code>wait()</code> will all cause their threads to be blocked.
The Nth call to <code>wait()</code> will allow all of the waiting threads, including
the Nth thread, to be placed in a ready state. The Nth call will also "reset"
the barrier such that, if an additional N+1th call is made to <code>wait()</code>,
it will be as though this were the first call to <code>wait()</code>; in other
words, the N+1th to 2N-1th calls to <code>wait()</code> will cause their
threads to be blocked, and the 2Nth call to <code>wait()</code> will allow all of
the waiting threads, including the 2Nth thread, to be placed in a ready state
and reset the barrier. This functionality allows the same set of N threads to re-use
a barrier object to synchronize their execution at multiple points during their
execution.</para>
<para>See <xref linkend="threads.glossary"/> for definitions of thread
states <link linkend="threads.glossary.thread-state">blocked</link>
and <link linkend="threads.glossary.thread-state">ready</link>.
Note that "waiting" is a synonym for blocked.</para>
</description>
<constructor>
<parameter name="count">
<paramtype>size_t</paramtype>
</parameter>
<effects><simpara>Constructs a <classname>barrier</classname> object that
will cause <code>count</code> threads to block on a call to <code>wait()</code>.
</simpara></effects>
</constructor>
<destructor>
<effects><simpara>Destroys <code>*this</code>. If threads are still executing
their <code>wait()</code> operations, the behavior for these threads is undefined.
</simpara></effects>
</destructor>
<method-group name="waiting">
<method name="wait">
<type>bool</type>
<effects><simpara>Wait until N threads call <code>wait()</code>, where
N equals the <code>count</code> provided to the constructor for the
barrier object.</simpara>
<simpara><emphasis role="bold">Note</emphasis> that if the barrier is
destroyed before <code>wait()</code> can return, the behavior is
undefined.</simpara></effects>
<returns>Exactly one of the N threads will receive a return value
of <code>true</code>, the others will receive a value of <code>false</code>.
Precisely which thread receives the return value of <code>true</code> will
be implementation-defined. Applications can use this value to designate one
thread as a leader that will take a certain action, and the other threads
emerging from the barrier can wait for that action to take place.</returns>
</method>
</method-group>
</class>
</namespace>
</header>