NAME
intro - Introduction to DCE Threads
DESCRIPTION
DCE Threads are a set of routines that you can call to create a multi-
threaded program. Multithreading is used to improve the performance
of a program. Routines implemented by DCE Threads that are not speci-
fied by Draft 4 of the POSIX 1003.4a standard are indicated by an _np
suffix on the name. These routines are not portable.
The pthread interface routines are grouped in the following functional
categories:
+ General threads routines
+ Thread attributes object routines
+ Thread cancelation routines
+ Thread priority, concurrency, and scheduling routines
+ Thread-specific data routines
+ Mutex routines
+ Mutex attributes object routines
+ Condition variable routines
+ Condition variable attribute object routines
DECthreads also provides routines that implement nonportable extensions
to the POSIX 1003.1c standard. These routines are grouped into these
functional categories:
+ Thread execution routines
+ Thread attributes routines
+ DECthreads global mutex routines
+ Mutex attributes routines
+ Condition variable routines
+ DECthreads exception object routines
1 – General Threads Routines
pthread_create Creates a thread object and thread.
pthread_detach Marks a thread object for deletion.
pthread_equal Compares one thread identifier to another
thread identifier.
pthread_exit Terminates the calling thread.
pthread_join Causes the calling thread to wait for the
termination of a specified thread and detach
it.
pthread_once Calls an initialization routine to be
executed only once.
pthread_self Obtains the identifier of the current thread.
2 – Thread Attributes Object Routines
pthread_attr_destroy Destroys a thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_getdetachstate
Obtains the detachstate attribute from the
specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_getguardsize
Obtains the guardsize attribute of the
specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_getinheritsched
Obtains the inherit scheduling attribute
from the specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_getschedparam
Obtains the scheduling parameters for an
attribute of the specified thread attributes
object.
pthread_attr_getschedpolicy
Obtains the scheduling policy attribute of
the specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_getscope Obtains the contention-scope attribute of
the specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_getstackaddr
Obtains the stackaddr attribute of the
specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_getstacksize
Obtains the stacksize attribute of the
specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_init Initializes a thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_setdetachstate
Changes the detachstate attribute in the
specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_setguardsize
Changes the guardsize attribute of the
specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_setinheritsched
Changes the inherit scheduling attribute
of the specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_setschedparam
Changes the values of the parameters
associated with the scheduling policy
attribute of the specified thread attri-
butes object.
pthread_attr_setschedpolicy
Changes the scheduling policy attribute
of the specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_setstackaddr
Changes the stackaddr attribute in the
specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_setstacksize
Changes the stacksize attribute in the
specified thread attributes object.
3 – Thread Cancellation Routines
pthread_cancel Allows a thread to request that it, or
another thread, terminate execution.
pthread_cleanup_pop Removes a cleanup handler routine from the
top of the cleanup stack and optionally
executes it.
pthread_cleanup_push Establishes a cleanup handler routine to
be executed when the thread exits or is
canceled.
pthread_setcancelstate Sets the current thread's cancelability
state.
pthread_setcanceltype Sets the current thread's cancelability
type.
pthread_testcancel Requests delivery of any pending
cancelation request to the current thread.
4 – Thread Priority Concurrency and Scheduling Routines
pthread_getconcurrency Obtains the current concurrency level
parameter for the process.
pthread_getschedparam Obtains the current scheduling policy and
scheduling parameters of a thread.
pthread_getsequence_np Obtains a thread sequence number.
pthread_setconcurrency Changes the current concurrency level
parameter for the process.
pthread_setschedparam Changes the current scheduling policy
and scheduling parameters of a thread.
5 – Thread Specific Data Routines
pthread_getspecific Obtains the thread-specific data
associated with the specified key.
pthread_key_create Generates a unique thread-specific data key.
pthread_setspecific Sets the thread-specific data value
associated with the specified key for the
current thread.
pthread_key_delete Deletes a thread-specific data key.
6 – Mutex Routines
pthread_mutex_destroy Destroys a mutex.
pthread_mutex_init Initializes a mutex with attributes
specified by the attributes argument.
pthread_mutex_lock Locks an unlocked mutex; if locked, the
caller waits for the mutex to become
available.
pthread_mutex_trylock Attempts to lock a mutex; returns
immediately if mutex is already locked.
pthread_mutex_unlock Unlocks a locked mutex.
7 – Mutex Attributes Object Routines
pthread_mutexattr_init Initializes a mutex attributes object.
pthread_mutexattr_destroy
Destroys a mutex attributes object.
pthread_mutexattr_gettype
Obtains the mutex type attribute of a
mutex attributes object.
pthread_mutexattr_settype
Changes the mutex type attribute of a
mutex attributes object.
8 – Condition Variable Routines
pthread_cond_broadcast Wakes all threads waiting on a condition
variable.
pthread_cond_destroy Destroys a condition variable.
pthread_cond_init Initializes a condition variable.
pthread_cond_signal Wakes at least one thread that is waiting
on a condition variable.
pthread_cond_timedwait Causes a thread to wait for a specified
period of time for a condition variable
to be signaled or broadcasted.
pthread_cond_wait Causes a thread to wait for a condition
variable to be signaled or broadcasted.
9 – Condition Variable Attributes Object Routines
pthread_condattr_destroy
Destroys a condition variable attributes
object.
pthread_condattr_init Initializes a condition variable attributes
object.
10 – Non Portable Extensions
DECthreads also provides routines that implement nonportable extensions to the POSIX 1003.1c standard. These routines are grouped into these functional categories:
10.1 – Thread Execution Routines
pthread_delay_np Causes a thread to delay execution.
pthread_get_expiration_np
Obtains a value representing a desired
expiration time.
pthread_getsequence_np Obtains the thread sequence number.
10.2 – Thread Attributes Routines
pthread_attr_getguardsize_np
Obtains the guardsize attribute of the
specified thread attributes object.
pthread_attr_setguardsize_np
Changes the guardsize attribute of the
specified thread attributes object.
10.3 – DECthreads Global Mutex Routines
pthread_lock_global_np Locks the DECthreads global mutex if it
is unlocked.
pthread_unlock_global_np
Unlocks the DECthreads lobal mutex if
it is locked.
10.4 – Mutex Attributes Routines
pthread_mutexattr_gettype_np
Obtains the mutex type attribute of a
mutex attributes object.
pthread_mutexattr_settype_np
Changes the mutex type attribute of a
mutex attributes object.
10.5 – Condition Variable Routines
pthread_cond_signal_int_np
Wakes one thread that is waiting on a
condition variable (called from interrupt
level only).
10.6 – DECthreads Exception Object Routines
pthread_exc_get_status_np
Obtains a system-defined error status
from a DECthreads status exception object.
pthread_exc_matches_np Determines whether two DECthreads exception
objects are identical.
pthread_exc_report_np Produces a message that reports what a
specified DECthreads status exception
object represents.
pthread_exc_set_status_np
Imports a system-defined error status
into a DECthreads address exception object.