Re: [boost] Boost.Threads - thread_desc concept

From: duncan_at_[hidden]
Date: 2001-06-27 08:58:07

pdimov_at_[hidden] (Peter Dimov) wrote:

> FWIW, I actually like procedural interfaces, when they fit. There is 
> nothing inherently low-level about them. thread::id may implement the
> handle/refcounted body idiom under the hood, or it may be a Win32 
> HANDLE. In a way, this interface is higher level, because it hides
> more of the implementation.
> 
> The important difference between thread::id and FILE* is that a FILE* 
> may leak. A thread::id can never leak. It has proper value semantics,
> so the 'thread reference' it contains will be released upon its
> destruction; and the thread will terminate itself when it's done.

Surely if the id is just a Win32 HANDLE then you have a leakage problem? 
Something has to close the handle to avoid a leak. If it were a Win32 
thread id that is not good enough because something must maintain an 
open handle to guarantee the thread id's uniqueness. So you are back to 
ref-counted handle-body and presumably the ref count must be thread 
safe.

--
Duncan Harris, Sapio Design Ltd, Manchester, U.K.