[boost] Thread cancellation (was: Comments about N2320)

From: Anthony Williams (anthony_w.geo_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-11-01 06:41:02

Howard Hinnant <howard.hinnant_at_[hidden]> writes:

> Here's an interesting read on the subject:
>
> http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2007/n2455.pdf
>
> For those of you not familiar with the language of standardization,  
> this is an official letter from the C committee to the C++ committee  
> saying: "Thank you for removing cancellation.  Now we want you to  
> promise that you will not even discuss bringing it back."

I just spotted that in the mailing. Ouch. I know we removed cancellation so we
could make progress on other stuff, but I really think we ought to bring it
back.

One of the key things people have said to me when I have mentioned that we're
standardizing a thread library for C++ is "does that include cancellation?"
Everyone I've spoken to about it has been very glad the answer was "yes."

I've added cancellation to the boost thread library (though currently
this_thread::cancellation_point is the only cancellation point on pthreads ---
something I intend to fix), and I don't intend to remove it.

Anthony
-- 
Anthony Williams
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