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PTHREAD(3)               BSD Library Functions Manual               PTHREAD(3)

NAME
     pthread -- POSIX thread functions

SYNOPSIS
     #include <pthread.h>

DESCRIPTION
     POSIX threads are a set of functions that support applications with
     requirements for multiple flows of control, called threads, within a
     process.  Multithreading is used to improve the performance of a program.

     The POSIX thread functions are summarized in this section in the follow-ing following
     ing groups:

           oo   Thread Routines

           oo   Attribute Object Routines

           oo   Mutex Routines

           oo   Condition Variable Routines

           oo   Read/Write Lock Routines

           oo   Per-Thread Context Routines

           oo   Cleanup Routines

THREAD ROUTINES
     int pthread_create(pthread_t *thread, const pthread_attr_t *attr, void
                        *(*start_routine)(void *), void *arg)
                        Creates a new thread of execution.

     int pthread_detach(pthread_t thread)
                        Marks a thread for deletion.

     int pthread_equal(pthread_t t1, pthread_t t2)
                        Compares two thread IDs.

     void pthread_exit(void *value_ptr)
                        Terminates the calling thread.

     int pthread_join(pthread_t thread, void **value_ptr)
                        Causes the calling thread to wait for the termination
                        of the specified thread.

     int pthread_cancel(pthread_t thread)
                        Cancels execution of a thread.

     int pthread_once(pthread_once_t *once_control, void
                        (*init_routine)(void))
                        Calls an initialization routine once.

     pthread_t pthread_self(void)
                        Returns the thread ID of the calling thread.

     int pthread_atfork(void (*prepare)(void), void (*parent)(void), void
                        (*child)(void))
                        Registers handlers to be called before and after
                        fork()

ATTRIBUTE OBJECT ROUTINES
     int pthread_attr_destroy(pthread_attr_t *attr)
                        Destroy a thread attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_getinheritsched(const pthread_attr_t *attr, int
                        *inheritsched)
                        Get the inherit scheduling attribute from a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_getschedparam(const pthread_attr_t *attr, struct
                        sched_param *param)
                        Get the scheduling parameter attribute from a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_getschedpolicy(const pthread_attr_t *attr, int *policy)
                        Get the scheduling policy attribute from a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_getscope(const pthread_attr_t *attr, int
                        *contentionscope)
                        Get the contention scope attribute from a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_getstacksize(const pthread_attr_t *attr, size_t
                        *stacksize)
                        Get the stack size attribute from a thread attributes
                        object.

     int pthread_attr_getstackaddr(const pthread_attr_t *attr, void
                        **stackaddr)
                        Get the stack address attribute from a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_getdetachstate(const pthread_attr_t *attr, int
                        *detachstate)
                        Get the detach state attribute from a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_init(pthread_attr_t *attr)
                        Initialize a thread attributes object with default
                        values.

     int pthread_attr_setinheritsched(pthread_attr_t *attr, int inheritsched)
                        Set the inherit scheduling attribute in a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_setschedparam(pthread_attr_t *attr, const struct
                        sched_param *param)
                        Set the scheduling parameter attribute in a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_setschedpolicy(pthread_attr_t *attr, int policy)
                        Set the scheduling policy attribute in a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_setscope(pthread_attr_t *attr, int contentionscope)
                        Set the contention scope attribute in a thread
                        attributes object.

     int pthread_attr_setstacksize(pthread_attr_t *attr, size_t stacksize)
                        Set the stack size attribute in a thread attributes
                        object.

     int pthread_attr_setstackaddr(pthread_attr_t *attr, void *stackaddr)
                        Set the stack address attribute in a thread attributes
                        object.

     int pthread_attr_setdetachstate(pthread_attr_t *attr, int detachstate)
                        Set the detach state in a thread attributes object.

MUTEX ROUTINES
     int pthread_mutexattr_destroy(pthread_mutexattr_t *attr)
                        Destroy a mutex attributes object.

     int pthread_mutexattr_init(pthread_mutexattr_t *attr)
                        Initialize a mutex attributes object with default val-ues. values.
                        ues.

     int pthread_mutex_destroy(pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
                        Destroy a mutex.

     int pthread_mutex_init(pthread_mutex_t *mutex, const pthread_mutexattr_t
                        *attr)
                        Initialize a mutex with specified attributes.

     int pthread_mutex_lock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
                        Lock a mutex and block until it becomes available.

     int pthread_mutex_trylock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
                        Try to lock a mutex, but don't block if the mutex is
                        locked by another thread, including the current
                        thread.

     int pthread_mutex_unlock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
                        Unlock a mutex.

CONDITION VARIABLE ROUTINES
     int pthread_condattr_init(pthread_condattr_t *attr)
                        Initialize a condition variable attributes object with
                        default values.

     int pthread_condattr_destroy(pthread_condattr_t *attr)
                        Destroy a condition variable attributes object.

     int pthread_cond_broadcast(pthread_cond_t *cond)
                        Unblock all threads currently blocked on the specified
                        condition variable.

     int pthread_cond_destroy(pthread_cond_t *cond)
                        Destroy a condition variable.

     int pthread_cond_init(pthread_cond_t *cond, const pthread_condattr_t
                        *attr)
                        Initialize a condition variable with specified
                        attributes.

     int pthread_cond_signal(pthread_cond_t *cond)
                        Unblock at least one of the threads blocked on the
                        specified condition variable.

     int pthread_cond_timedwait(pthread_cond_t *cond, pthread_mutex_t *mutex,
                        const struct timespec *abstime)
                        Wait no longer than the specified time for a condition
                        and lock the specified mutex.

     int pthread_cond_wait(pthread_cond_t *, pthread_mutex_t *mutex)
                        Wait for a condition and lock the specified mutex.

READ/WRITE LOCK ROUTINES
     int pthread_rwlock_destroy(pthread_rwlock_t *lock)
                        Destroy a read/write lock object.

     int pthread_rwlock_init(pthread_rwlock_t *lock, const
                        pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr)
                        Initialize a read/write lock object.

     int pthread_rwlock_rdlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock)
                        Lock a read/write lock for reading, blocking until the
                        lock can be acquired.

     int pthread_rwlock_tryrdlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock)
                        Attempt to lock a read/write lock for reading, without
                        blocking if the lock is unavailable.

     int pthread_rwlock_trywrlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock)
                        Attempt to lock a read/write lock for writing, without
                        blocking if the lock is unavailable.

     int pthread_rwlock_unlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock)
                        Unlock a read/write lock.

     int pthread_rwlock_wrlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock)
                        Lock a read/write lock for writing, blocking until the
                        lock can be acquired.

     int pthread_rwlockattr_destroy(pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr)
                        Destroy a read/write lock attribute object.

     int pthread_rwlockattr_getpshared(const pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr, int
                        *pshared)
                        Retrieve the process shared setting for the read/write
                        lock attribute object.

     int pthread_rwlockattr_init(pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr)
                        Initialize a read/write lock attribute object.

     int pthread_rwlockattr_setpshared(pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr, int
                        pshared)
                        Set the process shared setting for the read/write lock
                        attribute object.

PER-THREAD CONTEXT ROUTINES
     int pthread_key_create(pthread_key_t *key, void (*routine)(void *))
                        Create a thread-specific data key.

     int pthread_key_delete(pthread_key_t key)
                        Delete a thread-specific data key.

     void * pthread_getspecific(pthread_key_t key)
                        Get the thread-specific value for the specified key.

     int pthread_setspecific(pthread_key_t key, const void *value_ptr)
                        Set the thread-specific value for the specified key.

CLEANUP ROUTINES
     void pthread_cleanup_pop(int execute)
                        Remove the routine at the top of the calling thread's
                        cancellation cleanup stack and optionally invoke it.

     void pthread_cleanup_push(void (*routine)(void *), void *routine_arg)
                        Push the specified cancellation cleanup handler onto
                        the calling thread's cancellation stack.

INSTALLATION
     The default system libraries include pthread functions.  No additional
     libraries or CFLAGS are necessary to use this API.

SEE ALSO
     pthread_cleanup_pop(3), pthread_cleanup_push(3),
     pthread_cond_broadcast(3), pthread_cond_destroy(3), pthread_cond_init(3),
     pthread_cond_signal(3), pthread_cond_timedwait(3), pthread_cond_wait(3),
     pthread_create(3), pthread_detach(3), pthread_equal(3), pthread_exit(3),
     pthread_getspecific(3), pthread_join(3), pthread_key_delete(3),
     pthread_mutex_destroy(3), pthread_mutex_init(3), pthread_mutex_lock(3),
     pthread_mutex_trylock(3), pthread_mutex_unlock(3), pthread_once(3),
     pthread_rwlock_destroy(3), pthread_rwlock_init(3),
     pthread_rwlock_rdlock(3), pthread_rwlock_unlock(3),
     pthread_rwlock_wrlock(3), pthread_rwlockattr_destroy(3),
     pthread_rwlockattr_getpshared(3), pthread_rwlockattr_init(3),
     pthread_rwlockattr_setpshared(3), pthread_self(3), pthread_setspecific(3)

STANDARDS
     The functions in libc with the pthread_ prefix and not _np suffix or
     pthread_rwlock prefix conform to ISO/IEC 9945-1:1996 (``POSIX.1'').

     The functions in libc with the pthread_ prefix and _np suffix are non-portable nonportable
     portable extensions to POSIX threads.

     The functions in libc with the pthread_rwlock prefix are extensions cre-ated created
     ated by The Open Group as part of the Version 2 of the Single UNIX
     Specification (``SUSv2'').

Darwin                         November 5, 2001                         Darwin