Re: [boost] Adding an option to set the name of a boost::thread

Subject: Re: [boost] Adding an option to set the name of a boost::thread
From: Lars Viklund (zao_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-11-06 14:03:24

On Tue, Nov 06, 2012 at 12:50:23PM -0600, david.hagood_at_[hidden] wrote:
> Has any thought been given to allowing a name to be set on a
> boost::thread, such that (if the underlying implementation supports it)
> that name would show up in things like top and ps?
> 
> In Linux, you can name a thread via the prctl() call and it will show up
> in top - dandy for debugging which of the bazillion threads in my app has
> decided to suck up all the CPU.
> 
> I don't know if Windows supports such a call, and IMHO it would be
> acceptable if the call did nothing in such a case.
> 
> Ideally, I'd want to see it as a property, something like:
> 
> void boost::thread::set_name(std::string name)
> std::string boost::thread::get_name() const;

On VC++, the following names a thread.

    const DWORD MS_VC_EXCEPTION=0x406D1388;

    inline void SetThreadName(DWORD dwThreadID, char const* threadName)
    {
    #pragma pack(push,8)
        typedef struct tagTHREADNAME_INFO
        {
            DWORD dwType; // Must be 0x1000.
            LPCSTR szName; // Pointer to name (in user addr space).
            DWORD dwThreadID; // Thread ID (-1=caller thread).
            DWORD dwFlags; // Reserved for future use, must be zero.
        } THREADNAME_INFO;
    #pragma pack(pop)

        THREADNAME_INFO info;
        info.dwType = 0x1000;
        info.szName = threadName;
        info.dwThreadID = dwThreadID;
        info.dwFlags = 0;

        __try
        {
            RaiseException( MS_VC_EXCEPTION, 0, sizeof(info)/sizeof(ULONG_PTR),
                    (ULONG_PTR*)&info );
        }
        __except(EXCEPTION_EXECUTE_HANDLER)
        {
        }
    }

-- 
Lars Viklund | zao_at_[hidden]