dispatch_semaphore_create.3   [plain text]

.\" Copyright (c) 2008-2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
.Dd May 1, 2009
.Dt dispatch_semaphore_create 3
.Os Darwin
.Sh NAME
.Nm dispatch_semaphore_create ,
.Nm dispatch_semaphore_signal ,
.Nm dispatch_semaphore_wait
.Nd synchronized counting semaphore
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Fd #include <dispatch/dispatch.h>
.Ft dispatch_semaphore_t
.Fo dispatch_semaphore_create
.Fa "long count"
.Fc
.Ft long
.Fo dispatch_semaphore_signal
.Fa "dispatch_semaphore_t semaphore"
.Fc
.Ft long
.Fo dispatch_semaphore_wait
.Fa "dispatch_semaphore_t semaphore" "dispatch_time_t timeout"
.Fc
.Sh DESCRIPTION
Dispatch semaphores are used to synchronize threads.
The
.Fa timeout
parameter is creatable with the
.Xr dispatch_time 3
or
.Xr dispatch_walltime 3
functions.
.Sh COMPLETION SYNCHRONIZATION
If the
.Fa count
parameter is equal to zero, then the semaphore is useful for synchronizing completion of work.
For example:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
sema = dispatch_semaphore_create(0);

dispatch_async(queue, ^{
	foo();
	dispatch_semaphore_signal(sema);
});

bar();

dispatch_semaphore_wait(sema, DISPATCH_TIME_FOREVER);
.Ed
.Sh FINITE RESOURCE POOL
If the
.Fa count
parameter is greater than zero, then the semaphore is useful for managing a finite pool of resources.
For example, a library that wants to limit Unix descriptor usage:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
sema = dispatch_semaphore_create(getdtablesize() / 4);
.Ed
.Pp
At each Unix FD allocation:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
dispatch_semaphore_wait(sema, DISPATCH_TIME_FOREVER);
fd = open("/etc/services", O_RDONLY);
.Ed
.Pp
When each FD is closed:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
close(fd);
dispatch_semaphore_signal(sema);
.Ed
.Sh RETURN VALUES
The
.Fn dispatch_semaphore_create
function returns NULL if no memory is available or if the
.Fa count
parameter is less than zero.
.Pp
The
.Fn dispatch_semaphore_signal
function returns non-zero when a thread is woken.
Otherwise, zero is returned.
.Pp
The
.Fn dispatch_semaphore_wait
function returns zero upon success and non-zero after the timeout expires. If the timeout is DISPATCH_TIME_FOREVER, then
.Fn dispatch_semaphore_wait
waits forever and always returns zero.
.Sh MEMORY MODEL
Dispatch semaphores are retained and released via calls to
.Fn dispatch_retain
and
.Fn dispatch_release .
.Sh CAVEATS
Dispatch semaphores are strict counting semaphores.
In other words, dispatch semaphores do not saturate at any particular value.
Saturation can be achieved through atomic compare-and-swap logic.
What follows is a saturating binary semaphore:
.Bd -literal
void
saturating_semaphore_signal(dispatch_semaphore_t dsema, int *sent)
{
	if (__sync_bool_compare_and_swap(sent, 0, 1)) {
		dispatch_semaphore_signal(dsema);
	}
}

void
saturating_semaphore_wait(dispatch_semaphore_t dsema, int *sent)
{
	*sent = 0;
	dispatch_semaphore_wait(dsema, DISPATCH_TIME_FOREVER);
}
.Ed
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr dispatch_object 3