Re: Fast lock-based FIFO alias bounded buffer

From:
"Chris Thomasson" <cristom@comcast.net>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++,comp.programming.threads
Date:
Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:44:32 -0700
Message-ID:
<QYWdnepmK6Vuj37anZ2dnUVZ_hadnZ2d@comcast.com>
"Szabolcs Ferenczi" <szabolcs.ferenczi@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:cc210284-3c9b-4b55-b99e-5bb1657e0dc1@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...

I was re-reading the concurrent language tools of the Edison language,
when one interesting note caught my eyes: "... But the programmer is
no longer tied to the monitor concept, but can use simpler concepts,
such as semaphores ... Semaphores can then be used to implement a
multislot buffer in which sending and receiving can take place
simultaneously from different slots"

It seems that a solution does not necessarily have to be lock-free in
order to be efficient.

[...]

Efficient lock-based solutions are great, thanks for posting this; I am
looking forward to examining it. BTW, have you checked out Joe Seighs
semaphore algorithm which has wait-free fast-paths? They would definitely be
an asset to your algorithm. IIRC, here is how it went (in windows):

<sketch of 'joe_seigh_sem.hpp' which should compile>
___________________________________________________________________
#if ! defined(JOE_SEIGH_SEM_INCLUDE_HPP)
# define JOE_SEIGH_SEM_INCLUDE_HPP
# include <windows.h>
# include <exception>
# include <cassert>
# include <climits>
# define JOE_SEIGH_SEM_UNEXPECTED() \
      assert(false); std::terminate()
/*===========================================================*/

class joe_seigh_sem {
  LONG m_state;
  HANDLE m_wset;

public:
  joe_seigh_sem(LONG CONST state = 0)
    : m_state(state),
      m_wset(CreateSemaphore(NULL, 0, LONG_MAX, NULL)) {
      if (! m_wset || state < 0) {
        if (m_wset) { CloseHandle(m_wset); }
        throw std::exception();
      }
  }

  ~joe_seigh_sem() throw() {
    if (! CloseHandle(m_wset)) {
      JOE_SEIGH_SEM_UNEXPECTED();
    }
  }

public:
  void post() throw() {
    if (InterlockedIncrement(&m_state) < 1) {
      if (! ReleaseSemaphore(m_wset, 1, NULL)) {
        JOE_SEIGH_SEM_UNEXPECTED();
      }
    }
  }

  void wait() throw() {
    if (InterlockedDecrement(&m_state) < 0) {
      if (WaitForSingleObject(m_wset, INFINITE) !=
            WAIT_OBJECT_0) {
        JOE_SEIGH_SEM_UNEXPECTED();
      }
    }
  }
};

/*===========================================================*/
#endif
___________________________________________________________________

what do you think?

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