[fpc-pascal] Semaphore problems

[Vinzent Hoefler]

On Monday 24 July 2006 14:57, Burkhard Carstens wrote:

> I vote for more pascal based versions of TMutex, TSemaphore and
> TEvent, that behaves just like the ones in Delphi and use the system
> specific functions (like pthread stuff) only internally in their
> simplest/most portable form.

I'd vote for a more abstract version. :) The more or less basic things 
needed in multi-threaded programing are

- semaphore
- persistent signal
- transient signal ("pulse")
- event

There's some more higher level stuff (like broadcasts, for example), but 
that's about all you usually need. Currently we have the semaphore 
(more or less as SyncObjs.tCriticalSection), the persistent and the 
transient signal (SyncObjs.tEvent), although without timeouts (at least 
when trying to be portable), the event is somewhat implemented, but 
IIRC it misses a "Toggle" property, which can be used for simple 
intertask communication ("Now I'm blocking, you're on.").

> Currently, I have the problem to get a working TEvent:
> - The one in syncobjs returns wrError, when it's waitfor is called
> with anything else tah infinite timeout

Yes, that's not implemented, although it should be easily added by using 
condition variables of pthreads.

> - the rtlEvent works even with timeout (with my patch posted on
> mantis), but this one clears the signaled state, when wait is called.

*oh* Before the wait? That's not good. This cries for race conditions 
and subtle deadlock situations.


Vinzent.