[boost][interprocess] Need clarification on file_lock documentation

29 Mar 2018

      The documentation of boost::interprocess::file_lock has some cautions on synchronization limitations:

  *   It's unspecified if a file_lock synchronizes two threads from the same process.
  *   It's unspecified if a process can use two file_lock objects pointing to the same file.

But then gives the guidance:

  *   For each file, use a single file_lock object per process.
  *   Use the same thread to lock and unlock a file.

I then created the following example:

<https://wandbox.org/permlink/dO2rRDCHVWBE3pGr>https://wandbox.org/permlink/3CNfkA3RcMkwbd2v

#include <fstream>
#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <boost/interprocess/sync/file_lock.hpp>
#include <boost/interprocess/sync/scoped_lock.hpp>
#include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
#include <mutex>
#include <thread>
#include <chrono>

int main()
{
    std::ofstream("f.txt");

    boost::interprocess::file_lock lock("f.txt");

    std::mutex mtx;

    const size_t max = 100;

    size_t t1Count = 0;

    std::thread
        t1
        (
            [&lock,&t1Count,&mtx,max]()
            {
                while(t1Count < max)
                {
                    //std::lock_guard<std::mutex> mtxLock(mtx);
                    boost::interprocess::scoped_lock<boost::interprocess::file_lock> guard(lock);
                    std::cout << "Number 1" << std::endl;
                    t1Count++;
                    std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(1));
                }
            }
        );

    size_t t2Count = 0;

    std::thread
        t2
        (
            [&lock,&t2Count,&mtx,max]()
            {
                while(t2Count < max)
                {
                    //std::lock_guard<std::mutex> mtxLock(mtx);
                    boost::interprocess::scoped_lock<boost::interprocess::file_lock> guard(lock);
                    std::cout << "Number 2" << std::endl;
                    t2Count++;
                    std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(1));
                }
            }
        );

    t1.join();
    t2.join();

    return 0;
}

It only works properly if the std::mutex is used in addition to the file_lock. That was originally my thought when I read "It's unspecified if a file_lock synchronizes two threads from the same process.", but it seemed like I was following the guidance "Use the same thread to lock and unlock a file.". If I haven't messed anything up, I would probably update the documentation to say something like:

"If utilitizing the file_lock from multiple threads within the same process, synchronize access to the file_lock with an intraprocess synchronization mechanism such as a mutex."

Otherwise, is it a bug?

Thanks,
Rob

Rob Conde

tags

participants (4)