Re: [boost] Boost.Threads Locking Delima

From: William Kempf (williamkempf_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-05-19 14:00:01

>From: "Victor A. Wagner, Jr." <vawjr_at_[hidden]>
>To use an analogy that's been in use for decades to save human lives:
>At large construction sites where various electrical work  will be going
>on, there is a shutoff which can be locked _open_ simply by putting a
>common padlock on it.  The "hole" for the padlock to secure is large enough
>for many locks.  When an electrician comes to work and needs the power
>killed, s/he simply adds his/her personal lock.  When done, one removes
>one's own lock and leaves.  The power cannot be restored until ALL the
>locks are gone.

This analogy is flawed.  Given your description the "hole" would be the 
mutex, the padlocks would be the scoped_locks and the electricians would be 
threads.  Mutexes, by definition, don't allow multiple threads to have 
access to a shared resource.  Though this synchronization scheme may be 
valid, it's not analogous to what's being discussed here.

Bill Kempf
williamkempf_at_[hidden]

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