std::atomic_flag

 

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Threads thread (C++11) jthread (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) Cooperative cancellation stop_token (C++20) inplace_stop_token (C++26) never_stop_token (C++26) stop_source (C++20) inplace_stop_source (C++26)   stop_callback (C++20) inplace_stop_callback (C++26) stop_callback_for_t (C++26) stoppable_token (C++26) unstoppable_token (C++26) stoppable-source (C++26) stoppable-callback-for (C++26)   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 (C++11) lock_guard (C++11) scoped_lock (C++17) unique_lock (C++11) shared_lock (C++14) once_flag (C++11) call_once (C++11) try_lock (C++11) defer_locktry_to_lockadopt_lockdefer_lock_ttry_to_lock_tadopt_lock_t (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)(C++11)(C++11)(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) Safe Reclamation rcu_obj_base (C++26) rcu_domain (C++26) rcu_default_domain (C++26) rcu_synchronize (C++26) rcu_barrier (C++26) rcu_retire (C++26) Hazard Pointers hazard_pointer_obj_base (C++26) hazard_pointer (C++26) make_hazard_pointer (C++26)

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) Memory ordering memory_order (C++11) kill_dependency (C++11) atomic_thread_fence (C++11) atomic_signal_fence (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_fetch_maxatomic_fetch_max_explicit (C++26)(C++26) atomic_fetch_minatomic_fetch_min_explicit (C++26)(C++26) 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)

 

std::atomic_flag

Member functions

atomic_flag::atomic_flag

atomic_flag::operator=

atomic_flag::clear

atomic_flag::test_and_set

atomic_flag::test (C++20)

atomic_flag::wait (C++20)

atomic_flag::notify_one (C++20)

atomic_flag::notify_all (C++20)

 

Template:ddcl list begin <tr class="t-dsc-header">

<td>

Defined in header <atomic>

</td>

<td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr class="t-dcl ">

<td >

class atomic_flag;

</td>

<td class="t-dcl-nopad"> </td> <td > (since C++11) </td> </tr> Template:ddcl list end

std::atomic_flag is an atomic boolean type. Unlike all specializations of std::atomic, it is guaranteed to be lock-free. Unlike std::atomic<bool>, std::atomic_flag does not provide load or store operations.

Member functions

Template:cpp/atomic/atomic flag/dcl list clearTemplate:cpp/atomic/atomic flag/dcl list test and set

(constructor)	constructs an atomic_flag (public member function)
operator=	the assignment operator (public member function)

Example

A spinlock mutex can be implemented in userspace using an atomic_flag

Run this code

#include <thread>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
#include <atomic>
 
std::atomic_flag lock = ATOMIC_FLAG_INIT;
 
void f(int n)
{
    for (int cnt = 0; cnt < 100; ++cnt) {
        while (lock.test_and_set(std::memory_order_acquire))  // acquire lock
             ; // spin
        std::cout << "Output from thread " << n << '\n';
        lock.clear(std::memory_order_release);               // release lock
    }
}
 
int main()
{
    std::vector<std::thread> v;
    for (int n = 0; n < 10; ++n) {
        v.emplace_back(f, n);
    }
    for (auto& t : v) {
        t.join();
    }
}

Output:

Output from thread 2
Output from thread 6
Output from thread 7
...<exactly 1000 lines>...

See also

Template:cpp/atomic/dcl list atomic flag test and setTemplate:cpp/atomic/dcl list atomic flag clearTemplate:cpp/atomic/dcl list ATOMIC FLAG INIT

C documentation for atomic_flag