How emulate pthread condition variables in native Windows?

[noleander]

I've got an application that uses Pthread to do threading. Mostly Im using
Condition Variables and the associated function calls:

- pthread_cond_wa it()
- pthread_cond_si gnal()
- pthread_cond_br oadcast()

My boss says we cant use Pthread because of licensing issues (LGPL) .. we
can only use Native Win32 threading/mutex functions.

Question: Does anyone out there have any suggestion on how to implement
Condition Variables with Native Win32 functions?

I researched this in the web, but the only thing I could find (besides
PThread) was the function PulseEvent ... but the MS documentation says that
function is not reliable and should not be used.

Thanks in advance for any help,
neal

[William DePalo [MVP VC++]]

"noleander" <no*******@disc ussions.microso ft.com> wrote in message
news:9C******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

I've got an application that uses Pthread to do threading. Mostly Im
using
Condition Variables and the associated function calls:

- pthread_cond_wa it()
- pthread_cond_si gnal()
- pthread_cond_br oadcast()

My boss says we cant use Pthread because of licensing issues (LGPL) .. we
can only use Native Win32 threading/mutex functions.

Question: Does anyone out there have any suggestion on how to implement
Condition Variables with Native Win32 functions?

I researched this in the web, but the only thing I could find (besides
PThread) was the function PulseEvent ... but the MS documentation says
that
function is not reliable and should not be used.

Thanks in advance for any help,

First the disclaimer: I know nothing of 'nix, 'nux and 'pux.

If however, you are willing to consider buying some help, you can look at
Services for Unix:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/int...pthreads0.mspx

which I believe has support for Posix Threads.

In addition, native Windows has support for mutexes, semaphores, events and
critical sections ( check the docs for CreateMutex(), CreateSemaphore (),
CreateEvent() and InitializeCriti calSection() ). You should be able
implement the missing pthread calls with a handful of these synchronization
services.

Regards.
Will

[Carl Daniel [VC++ MVP]]

William DePalo [MVP VC++] wrote:

"noleander" <no*******@disc ussions.microso ft.com> wrote in message
news:9C******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

I've got an application that uses Pthread to do threading. Mostly Im
using
Condition Variables and the associated function calls:

- pthread_cond_wa it()
- pthread_cond_si gnal()
- pthread_cond_br oadcast()

My boss says we cant use Pthread because of licensing issues (LGPL)
.. we can only use Native Win32 threading/mutex functions.

Question: Does anyone out there have any suggestion on how to
implement Condition Variables with Native Win32 functions?

I researched this in the web, but the only thing I could find
(besides PThread) was the function PulseEvent ... but the MS
documentation says that
function is not reliable and should not be used.

Thanks in advance for any help,

First the disclaimer: I know nothing of 'nix, 'nux and 'pux.

If however, you are willing to consider buying some help, you can
look at Services for Unix:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/int...pthreads0.mspx

which I believe has support for Posix Threads.

And which appear to be free.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...s/default.mspx

-cd

[noleander]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I tried SFU a few months ago and I had two problems with it: (1) im using
Standard Vis C++, and I think it required me to buy the more expensive
edition; and (2) it was _huge_.

I'm looking for just a little wrapper around the native Windows thread
library that emulates the pthread Condition Variable functions.

I've read the Pthread (for Windows) source code, and it is rather elaborate
.... I was hoping someone has created a stripped-down, simple wrapper that
does condition variables.
"Carl Daniel [VC++ MVP]" wrote:

William DePalo [MVP VC++] wrote:

"noleander" <no*******@disc ussions.microso ft.com> wrote in message
news:9C******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

I've got an application that uses Pthread to do threading. Mostly Im
using
Condition Variables and the associated function calls:

- pthread_cond_wa it()
- pthread_cond_si gnal()
- pthread_cond_br oadcast()

My boss says we cant use Pthread because of licensing issues (LGPL)
.. we can only use Native Win32 threading/mutex functions.

Question: Does anyone out there have any suggestion on how to
implement Condition Variables with Native Win32 functions?

I researched this in the web, but the only thing I could find
(besides PThread) was the function PulseEvent ... but the MS
documentation says that
function is not reliable and should not be used.

Thanks in advance for any help,

First the disclaimer: I know nothing of 'nix, 'nux and 'pux.

If however, you are willing to consider buying some help, you can
look at Services for Unix:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/int...pthreads0.mspx

which I believe has support for Posix Threads.

And which appear to be free.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...s/default.mspx

-cd

[William DePalo [MVP VC++]]

"Carl Daniel [VC++ MVP]" <cp************ *************** **@mvps.org.nos pam>
wrote in message news:%2******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP15.phx.gbl. ..

And which appear to be free.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...s/default.mspx

Who woulda thunk that! :-)

Regards,
Will

[William DePalo [MVP VC++]]

"noleander" <no*******@disc ussions.microso ft.com> wrote in message
news:E1******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

Thanks for the suggestions.
You are welcome.
I tried SFU a few months ago and I had two problems with it: (1) im
using
Standard Vis C++, and I think it required me to buy the more expensive
edition;
Well, I don't know if that is true but if you post information on whatever
it was that you could not do with the standard edition, someone will likely
be able to confirm that or explain why it is not so.
and (2) it was _huge_.

Well, Windows ain't 'Nix. :-)

Regards,
Will

[William DePalo [MVP VC++]]

"noleander" <no*******@disc ussions.microso ft.com> wrote in message
news:E1******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

I've read the Pthread (for Windows) source code, and it is rather
elaborate
... I was hoping someone has created a stripped-down, simple wrapper that
does condition variables.

Underlying that wish is the assumption that the wrapper ought to be simple.

At this link you'll find a paper on synthesizing condition variables under
Win32:

http://www.cs.wustl.edu/~schmidt/win32-cv-1.html

It contains this line

<quote>
This article illustrates why developing condition variables on Win32
platforms is tricky and error-prone
</quote>

Were I you in your shoes, I might be tempted to use what the author has to
offer here:

http://www.cs.wustl.edu/~schmidt/ACE.html

if the licensing terms (which I did not research) are acceptable, regardless
of perceived lack of simplicity. Just my opinion, YMMV.

Regards.
Will

[Doug Harrison [MVP]]

On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 19:04:14 -0700, noleander wrote:

I've got an application that uses Pthread to do threading. Mostly Im using
Condition Variables and the associated function calls:

- pthread_cond_wa it()
- pthread_cond_si gnal()
- pthread_cond_br oadcast()

My boss says we cant use Pthread because of licensing issues (LGPL) .. we
can only use Native Win32 threading/mutex functions.

Question: Does anyone out there have any suggestion on how to implement
Condition Variables with Native Win32 functions?

I researched this in the web, but the only thing I could find (besides
PThread) was the function PulseEvent ... but the MS documentation says that
function is not reliable and should not be used.

Thanks in advance for any help,
neal

Here's a good paper on the subject:

Strategies for Implementing POSIX Condition Variables on Win32
http://www.cs.wustl.edu/~schmidt/win32-cv-1.html

--
Doug Harrison
Microsoft MVP - Visual C++

[noleander]

Thanks for that article ... it looks like it fits my needs exactly.

Here is another article I just found that has some similar suggestions, tho
not couched in "condition variable" terminology:

http://www.codeproject.com/threads/semaphores.asp

Thanks again!
"Doug Harrison [MVP]" wrote:

On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 19:04:14 -0700, noleander wrote:

I've got an application that uses Pthread to do threading. Mostly Im using
Condition Variables and the associated function calls:

- pthread_cond_wa it()
- pthread_cond_si gnal()
- pthread_cond_br oadcast()

My boss says we cant use Pthread because of licensing issues (LGPL) .. we
can only use Native Win32 threading/mutex functions.

Question: Does anyone out there have any suggestion on how to implement
Condition Variables with Native Win32 functions?

I researched this in the web, but the only thing I could find (besides
PThread) was the function PulseEvent ... but the MS documentation says that
function is not reliable and should not be used.

Thanks in advance for any help,
neal

Here's a good paper on the subject:

Strategies for Implementing POSIX Condition Variables on Win32
http://www.cs.wustl.edu/~schmidt/win32-cv-1.html

--
Doug Harrison
Microsoft MVP - Visual C++

[Carl Daniel [VC++ MVP]]

Doug Harrison [MVP] wrote:

Here's a good paper on the subject:

Strategies for Implementing POSIX Condition Variables on Win32
http://www.cs.wustl.edu/~schmidt/win32-cv-1.html

Unfortunately it looks like they never got around to finishing part 2 of the
article.

http://www.cs.wustl.edu/~schmidt/win32-cv-2.html

...but the solutions in part 1 are probably acceptable for most uses.

-cd