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

Task Blocks

Task blocks use the well-known fork-join paradigm for the parallel execution of tasks. They are already part for the Technical Specification for C++ Extension Parallelism Version 2; therefore, it’s quite probable that we get them with C++20.

Who invented it in C++? Both Microsoft with its Parallel Patterns Library (PPL) and Intel with its Threading Building Blocks (TBB) were involved in the proposal N4441. Additionally, Intel used its experience with their Cilk Plus library.

The name fork-join is quite easy to explain.

Fork and Join

The most straightforward approach to explain the fork-join paradigm is a graphic.

The fork-join paradigm
The fork-join paradigm

How does it work?

The creator invokes define_task_block or define_task_block_restore_thread. This call creates a task block that can create tasks or it can wait for their completion. The synchronisation is at the end of the task block. The creation of a new task is the fork phase; the synchronisation of the...