std:: counting_semaphore, std:: binary_semaphore

A counting_semaphore contains an internal counter initialized by the constructor. This counter is decremented by calls to acquire() and related methods, and is incremented by calls to release() . When the counter is zero, acquire() blocks until the counter is incremented, but try_acquire() does not block; try_acquire_for() and try_acquire_until() block until the counter is incremented or a timeout is reached.

Similar to std::condition_variable::wait() , counting_semaphore 's try_acquire() can spuriously fail.

Specializations of std::counting_semaphore are not DefaultConstructible , CopyConstructible , MoveConstructible , CopyAssignable , or MoveAssignable .

Data Members

Member functions

Notes

As its name indicates, the LeastMaxValue is the minimum max value, not the actual max value. Thus max() can yield a number larger than LeastMaxValue .

Unlike std::mutex a counting_semaphore is not tied to threads of execution - acquiring a semaphore can occur on a different thread than releasing the semaphore, for example. All operations on counting_semaphore can be performed concurrently and without any relation to specific threads of execution, with the exception of the destructor which cannot be performed concurrently but can be performed on a different thread.

Semaphores are also often used for the semantics of signaling/notifying rather than mutual exclusion, by initializing the semaphore with ​ 0 ​ and thus blocking the receiver(s) that try to acquire() , until the notifier "signals" by invoking release ( n ) . In this respect semaphores can be considered alternatives to std::condition_variable s, often with better performance.

Example

#include <chrono>
#include <iostream>
#include <semaphore>
#include <thread>
 
// global binary semaphore instances
// object counts are set to zero
// objects are in non-signaled state
std::binary_semaphore
    smphSignalMainToThread{0},
    smphSignalThreadToMain{0};
 
void ThreadProc()
{
    // wait for a signal from the main proc
    // by attempting to decrement the semaphore
    smphSignalMainToThread.acquire();
 
    // this call blocks until the semaphore's count
    // is increased from the main proc
 
    std::cout << "[thread] Got the signal\n"; // response message
 
    // wait for 3 seconds to imitate some work
    // being done by the thread
    using namespace std::literals;
    std::this_thread::sleep_for(3s);
 
    std::cout << "[thread] Send the signal\n"; // message
 
    // signal the main proc back
    smphSignalThreadToMain.release();
}
 
int main()
{
    // create some worker thread
    std::thread thrWorker(ThreadProc);
 
    std::cout << "[main] Send the signal\n"; // message
 
    // signal the worker thread to start working
    // by increasing the semaphore's count
    smphSignalMainToThread.release();
 
    // wait until the worker thread is done doing the work
    // by attempting to decrement the semaphore's count
    smphSignalThreadToMain.acquire();
 
    std::cout << "[main] Got the signal\n"; // response message
    thrWorker.join();
}

[main] Send the signal
[thread] Got the signal
[thread] Send the signal
[main] Got the signal