std::defer_lock_t, std::try_to_lock_t, std::adopt_lock_t

 

C++

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Concurrency support library

Threads thread (C++11) jthread (C++20) stop_token (C++20) stop_source (C++20) stop_callback (C++20) hardware_destructive_interference_sizehardware_constructive_interference_size (C++17)(C++17)     this_thread namespace get_id (C++11) yield (C++11) sleep_for (C++11) sleep_until (C++11) Atomic types atomic (C++11) atomic_ref (C++20) atomic_flag (C++11) Initialization of atomic types atomic_init (C++11)(deprecated in C++20) ATOMIC_VAR_INIT (C++11)(deprecated in C++20) ATOMIC_FLAG_INIT (C++11) Free functions for atomic operations atomic_storeatomic_store_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_loadatomic_load_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_exchangeatomic_exchange_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_compare_exchange_weakatomic_compare_exchange_weak_explicitatomic_compare_exchange_strongatomic_compare_exchange_strong_explicit (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_addatomic_fetch_add_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_subatomic_fetch_sub_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_andatomic_fetch_and_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_oratomic_fetch_or_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_xoratomic_fetch_xor_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_is_lock_free (C++11) atomic_waitatomic_wait_explicit (C++20)(C++20) atomic_notify_one (C++20) atomic_notify_all (C++20)

Free functions for atomic flags atomic_flag_test_and_setatomic_flag_test_and_set_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_flag_clearatomic_flag_clear_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_flag_testatomic_flag_test_explicit (C++20)(C++20) atomic_flag_waitatomic_flag_wait_explicit (C++20)(C++20) atomic_flag_notify_one (C++20) atomic_flag_notify_all (C++20) Memory ordering memory_order (C++11) kill_dependency (C++11) atomic_thread_fence (C++11) atomic_signal_fence (C++11) Mutual exclusion mutex (C++11) recursive_mutex (C++11) shared_mutex (C++17) timed_mutex (C++11) recursive_timed_mutex (C++11) shared_timed_mutex (C++14) Generic lock management lock_guard (C++11) scoped_lock (C++17) unique_lock (C++11) shared_lock (C++14) defer_lock_ttry_to_lock_tadopt_lock_t (C++11)(C++11)(C++11) lock (C++11) try_lock (C++11) defer_locktry_to_lockadopt_lock (C++11)(C++11)(C++11) once_flag (C++11) call_once (C++11) Condition variables condition_variable (C++11) condition_variable_any (C++11) notify_all_at_thread_exit (C++11) cv_status (C++11) Semaphores counting_semaphorebinary_semaphore (C++20)(C++20) Latches and barriers latch (C++20) barrier (C++20) Futures promise (C++11) future (C++11) shared_future (C++11) packaged_task (C++11) async (C++11) launch (C++11) future_status (C++11) future_error (C++11) future_category (C++11) future_errc (C++11)

 

Defined in header <mutex>
struct defer_lock_t { explicit defer_lock_t() = default; }; struct try_to_lock_t { explicit try_to_lock_t() = default; }; struct adopt_lock_t { explicit adopt_lock_t() = default; };		(since C++11)

std::defer_lock_t, std::try_to_lock_t and std::adopt_lock_t are empty class tag types used to specify locking strategy for std::lock_guard, std::scoped_lock, std::unique_lock, and std::shared_lock.

Type	Effect(s)
defer_lock_t	do not acquire ownership of the mutex
try_to_lock_t	try to acquire ownership of the mutex without blocking
adopt_lock_t	assume the calling thread already has ownership of the mutex

Example

Run this code

#include <mutex>
#include <thread>
#include <iostream>
 
struct bank_account {
    explicit bank_account(int balance) : balance{balance} {}
    int balance;
    std::mutex m;
};
 
void transfer(bank_account &from, bank_account &to, int amount)
{
    if(&from == &to) return; // avoid deadlock in case of self transfer
 
    // lock both mutexes without deadlock
    std::lock(from.m, to.m);
    // make sure both already-locked mutexes are unlocked at the end of scope
    std::lock_guard lock1{from.m, std::adopt_lock};
    std::lock_guard lock2{to.m, std::adopt_lock};
 
// equivalent approach:
//    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock1{from.m, std::defer_lock};
//    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock2{to.m, std::defer_lock};
//    std::lock(lock1, lock2);
 
    from.balance -= amount;
    to.balance += amount;
}
 
int main()
{
    bank_account my_account{100};
    bank_account your_account{50};
 
    std::thread t1{transfer, std::ref(my_account), std::ref(your_account), 10};
    std::thread t2{transfer, std::ref(your_account), std::ref(my_account), 5};
 
    t1.join();
    t2.join();
 
    std::cout << "my_account.balance = " << my_account.balance << "\n"
                 "your_account.balance = " << your_account.balance << '\n';
}

Output:

my_account.balance = 95
your_account.balance = 55

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR	Applied to	Behavior as published	Correct behavior
LWG 2510	C++11	the default constructors were non-explicit, which could lead to ambiguity	made explicit

See also

defer_locktry_to_lockadopt_lock (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)	tag constants used to specify locking strategy (constant)
(constructor)	constructs a lock_guard, optionally locking the given mutex (public member function of std::lock_guard<Mutex>)
(constructor)	constructs a unique_lock, optionally locking (i.e., taking ownership of) the supplied mutex (public member function of std::unique_lock<Mutex>)