GLib Reference Manual
<<< Previous Page | Home | Up | Next Page >>>

# Asynchronous Queues

## Name

Asynchronous Queues -- asynchronous communication between threads.

## Synopsis

    #include <glib.h>

    struct      GAsyncQueue;
    GAsyncQueue* g_async_queue_new              (void);
    void        g_async_queue_ref               (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    void        g_async_queue_unref             (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    void        g_async_queue_push              (GAsyncQueue *queue,
                                                 gpointer data);
    gpointer    g_async_queue_pop               (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    gpointer    g_async_queue_try_pop           (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    gpointer    g_async_queue_timed_pop         (GAsyncQueue *queue,
                                                 GTimeVal *end_time);
    gint        g_async_queue_length            (GAsyncQueue *queue);

    void        g_async_queue_lock              (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    void        g_async_queue_unlock            (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    void        g_async_queue_ref_unlocked      (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    void        g_async_queue_unref_and_unlock  (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    void        g_async_queue_push_unlocked     (GAsyncQueue *queue,
                                                 gpointer data);
    gpointer    g_async_queue_pop_unlocked      (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    gpointer    g_async_queue_try_pop_unlocked  (GAsyncQueue *queue);
    gpointer    g_async_queue_timed_pop_unlocked
                                                (GAsyncQueue *queue,
                                                 GTimeVal *end_time);
    gint        g_async_queue_length_unlocked   (GAsyncQueue *queue);

## Description

Often you need to communicate between different threads. In general it's safer not to do this by shared memory, but by explicit message passing. These messages only make sense asynchronously for multi-threaded applications though, as a synchronous operation could as well be done in the same thread.

Asynchronous queues are an exception from most other GLib data structures, as they can be used simultaneously from multiple threads without explicit locking and they bring their own builtin reference counting. This is because the nature of an asynchronous queue is that it will always be used by at least 2 concurrent threads.

For using an asynchronous queue you first have to create one with g_async_queue_new(). A newly-created queue will get the reference count 1. Whenever another thread is creating a new reference of (that is, pointer to) the queue, it has to increase the reference count (using g_async_queue_ref()). Also, before removing this reference, the reference count has to be decreased (using g_async_queue_unref()). After that the queue might no longer exist so you must not access it after that point.

A thread, which wants to send a message to that queue simply calls g_async_queue_push() to push the message to the queue.

A thread, which is expecting messages from an asynchronous queue simply calls g_async_queue_pop() for that queue. If no message is available in the queue at that point, the thread is now put to sleep until a message arrives. The message will be removed from the queue and returned. The functions g_async_queue_try_pop() and g_async_queue_timed_pop() can be used to only check for the presence of messages or to only wait a certain time for messages respectively.

For almost every function there exist two variants, one that locks the queue and one that doesn't. That way you can hold the queue lock (acquire it with g_async_queue_lock() and release it with g_async_queue_unlock()) over multiple queue accessing instructions. This can be necessary to ensure the integrity of the queue, but should only be used when really necessary, as it can make your life harder if used unwisely. Normally you should only use the locking function variants (those without the suffix _unlocked)

## Details

### struct GAsyncQueue

    struct GAsyncQueue;

The GAsyncQueue struct is an opaque data structure, which represents an asynchronous queue. It should only be accessed through the `g_async_queue_*` functions.

### g_async_queue_new ()

    GAsyncQueue* g_async_queue_new              (void);

Creates a new asynchronous queue with the initial reference count of 1.

Returns : | the new GAsyncQueue.

### g_async_queue_ref ()

    void        g_async_queue_ref               (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Increases the reference count of the asynchronous `queue` by 1.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.

### g_async_queue_unref ()

    void        g_async_queue_unref             (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Decreases the reference count of the asynchronous `queue` by 1. If the reference count went to 0, the `queue` will be destroyed and the memory allocated will be freed. So you are not allowed to use the `queue` afterwards, as it might have disappeared.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.

### g_async_queue_push ()

    void        g_async_queue_push              (GAsyncQueue *queue,
                                                 gpointer data);

Pushes the `data` into the `queue`. `data` must not be `NULL`.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
`data` : | `data` to push into the `queue`.

### g_async_queue_pop ()

    gpointer    g_async_queue_pop               (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Pops data from the `queue`. This function blocks until data become available.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
Returns : | data from the queue.

### g_async_queue_try_pop ()

    gpointer    g_async_queue_try_pop           (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Tries to pop data from the `queue`. If no data is available, `NULL` is returned.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
Returns : | data from the queue or `NULL`, when no data is available immediately.

### g_async_queue_timed_pop ()

    gpointer    g_async_queue_timed_pop         (GAsyncQueue *queue,
                                                 GTimeVal *end_time);

Pops data from the `queue`. If no data is received before `end_time`, `NULL` is returned.

To easily calculate `end_time` a combination of g_get_current_time() and g_time_val_add() can be used.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
`end_time` : | a GTimeVal, determining the final time.
Returns : | data from the queue or `NULL`, when no data is received before `end_time`.

### g_async_queue_length ()

    gint        g_async_queue_length            (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Returns the length of the queue, negative values mean waiting threads, positive values mean available entries in the `queue`. Actually this function returns the number of data items in the queue minus the number of waiting threads. Thus a return value of 0 could mean 'n' entries in the queue and 'n' thread waiting. That can happen due to locking of the queue or due to scheduling.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
Returns : | the length of the `queue`.

### g_async_queue_lock ()

    void        g_async_queue_lock              (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Acquires the `queue`'s lock. After that you can only call the `g_async_queue_*_unlocked()` function variants on that `queue`. Otherwise it will deadlock.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.

### g_async_queue_unlock ()

    void        g_async_queue_unlock            (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Releases the queue's lock.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.

### g_async_queue_ref_unlocked ()

    void        g_async_queue_ref_unlocked      (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Increases the reference count of the asynchronous `queue` by 1. This function must be called while holding the `queue`'s lock.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.

### g_async_queue_unref_and_unlock ()

    void        g_async_queue_unref_and_unlock  (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Decreases the reference count of the asynchronous `queue` by 1 and releases the lock. This function must be called while holding the `queue`'s lock. If the reference count went to 0, the `queue` will be destroyed and the memory allocated will be freed. So you are not allowed to use the `queue` afterwards, as it might have disappeared. The obvious asymmetry (it is not named g_async_queue_unref_unlocked()) is because the queue can't be unlocked after unreffing it, as it might already have disappeared.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.

### g_async_queue_push_unlocked ()

    void        g_async_queue_push_unlocked     (GAsyncQueue *queue,
                                                 gpointer data);

Pushes the `data` into the `queue`. `data` must not be `NULL`. This function must be called while holding the `queue`'s lock.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
`data` : | `data` to push into the `queue`.

### g_async_queue_pop_unlocked ()

    gpointer    g_async_queue_pop_unlocked      (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Pops data from the `queue`. This function blocks until data become available. This function must be called while holding the `queue`'s lock.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
Returns : | data from the queue.

### g_async_queue_try_pop_unlocked ()

    gpointer    g_async_queue_try_pop_unlocked  (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Tries to pop data from the `queue`. If no data is available, `NULL` is returned. This function must be called while holding the `queue`'s lock.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
Returns : | data from the queue or `NULL`, when no data is available immediately.

### g_async_queue_timed_pop_unlocked ()

    gpointer    g_async_queue_timed_pop_unlocked
                                                (GAsyncQueue *queue,
                                                 GTimeVal *end_time);

Pops data from the `queue`. If no data is received before `end_time`, `NULL` is returned. This function must be called while holding the `queue`'s lock.

To easily calculate `end_time` a combination of g_get_current_time() and g_time_val_add() can be used.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
`end_time` : | a GTimeVal, determining the final time.
Returns : | data from the queue or `NULL`, when no data is received before `end_time`.

### g_async_queue_length_unlocked ()

    gint        g_async_queue_length_unlocked   (GAsyncQueue *queue);

Returns the length of the queue, negative values mean waiting threads, positive values mean available entries in the `queue`. Actually this function returns the number of data items in the queue minus the number of waiting threads. Thus a return value of 0 could mean 'n' entries in the queue and 'n' thread waiting. That can happen due to locking of the queue or due to scheduling. This function must be called while holding the `queue`'s lock.

`queue` : | a GAsyncQueue.
Returns : | the length of the `queue`.

<<< Previous Page | Home | Up | Next Page >>>
Thread Pools | Dynamic Loading of Modules