Book Image

Concurrency with Modern C++

By : Rainer Grimm
Book Image

Concurrency with Modern C++

By: Rainer Grimm

Overview of this book

C++11 is the first C++ standard that deals with concurrency. The story goes on with C++17 and will continue with C++20/23. Concurrency with Modern C++ is a practical guide that gets you to grips with concurrent programming in Modern C++. Starting with the C++ memory model and using many ready-to-run code examples, the book covers everything you need to improve your C++ multithreading skills. You'll gain insight into different design patterns. You'll also uncover the general consideration you have to keep in mind while designing a concurrent data structure. The final chapter in the book talks extensively about the common pitfalls of concurrent programming and ways to overcome these hurdles. By the end of the book, you'll have the skills to build your own concurrent programs and enhance your knowledge base.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Free Chapter
1
Reader Testimonials
19
Index

Latches and Barriers

Latches and barriers are simple thread synchronisation mechanisms which enable some threads to block until a counter becomes zero. At first, don’t confuse the new barriers with memory barriers, also known as fences. In C++20 we get latches and barriers in two variations: std::latch, and std::barrier.

First, there are two questions:

  1. What are the differences between these two mechanisms to synchronise threads? You can use a std::latch only once, but you can use a std::barrier more than once. A std::latch is useful for managing one task by multiple threads; a std::barrier is useful for managing repeated tasks by multiple threads. Additionally, a std::barrier enables you to execute a function in the so-called completion step. The completion step is the state when the counter becomes zero.
  2. What use cases do latches and barriers support that cannot be done in C++11 and C++14 with futures, threads, or condition variables in combination with locks? Latches...