[boost] Re: no semaphores in boost::thread

From: Nicolas Fleury (nfleury_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-06-04 14:53:52

Alexander Terekhov wrote:
> Nicolas Fleury wrote:
> [...]
> 
>>
>>Would it be possible to post some code that "experience has shown" to be
>>error-prone using semaphores comparing with conditions/mutexes?  
> 
> 
> Sure... thanks to the Microsoft Corp.
> 
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dndllpro/html/msdn_metrsect.asp
> 
> Take a look at their brain-damaged "metered section" semaphore 
> implementation. Note that MS "auto-reset event" is nothing but 
> a binary sema (well, brain-dead "pulsing" aside for a moment).

Thx for the link, but I don't get it.  How is Microsoft implementation 
of semaphore is showing that all implementations of semaphore should be 
avoided?  Using semaphores versus using mutexes/conditions should be 
illustrable with few lines of code.  I just want to understand what some 
developers think is error-prone about semaphores, whatever the 
implementation (or with the removed boost implementation).
Thx.

Regards,
Nicolas Fleury