Issue #7042: Use a better mechanism for testing timers in test_signal.
[python.git] / Demo / threads / sync.py
blob843767ac7ae4fb8cfa5129563f74a44dda10a984
1 # Defines classes that provide synchronization objects. Note that use of
2 # this module requires that your Python support threads.
4 # condition(lock=None) # a POSIX-like condition-variable object
5 # barrier(n) # an n-thread barrier
6 # event() # an event object
7 # semaphore(n=1) # a semaphore object, with initial count n
8 # mrsw() # a multiple-reader single-writer lock
10 # CONDITIONS
12 # A condition object is created via
13 # import this_module
14 # your_condition_object = this_module.condition(lock=None)
16 # As explained below, a condition object has a lock associated with it,
17 # used in the protocol to protect condition data. You can specify a
18 # lock to use in the constructor, else the constructor will allocate
19 # an anonymous lock for you. Specifying a lock explicitly can be useful
20 # when more than one condition keys off the same set of shared data.
22 # Methods:
23 # .acquire()
24 # acquire the lock associated with the condition
25 # .release()
26 # release the lock associated with the condition
27 # .wait()
28 # block the thread until such time as some other thread does a
29 # .signal or .broadcast on the same condition, and release the
30 # lock associated with the condition. The lock associated with
31 # the condition MUST be in the acquired state at the time
32 # .wait is invoked.
33 # .signal()
34 # wake up exactly one thread (if any) that previously did a .wait
35 # on the condition; that thread will awaken with the lock associated
36 # with the condition in the acquired state. If no threads are
37 # .wait'ing, this is a nop. If more than one thread is .wait'ing on
38 # the condition, any of them may be awakened.
39 # .broadcast()
40 # wake up all threads (if any) that are .wait'ing on the condition;
41 # the threads are woken up serially, each with the lock in the
42 # acquired state, so should .release() as soon as possible. If no
43 # threads are .wait'ing, this is a nop.
45 # Note that if a thread does a .wait *while* a signal/broadcast is
46 # in progress, it's guaranteeed to block until a subsequent
47 # signal/broadcast.
49 # Secret feature: `broadcast' actually takes an integer argument,
50 # and will wake up exactly that many waiting threads (or the total
51 # number waiting, if that's less). Use of this is dubious, though,
52 # and probably won't be supported if this form of condition is
53 # reimplemented in C.
55 # DIFFERENCES FROM POSIX
57 # + A separate mutex is not needed to guard condition data. Instead, a
58 # condition object can (must) be .acquire'ed and .release'ed directly.
59 # This eliminates a common error in using POSIX conditions.
61 # + Because of implementation difficulties, a POSIX `signal' wakes up
62 # _at least_ one .wait'ing thread. Race conditions make it difficult
63 # to stop that. This implementation guarantees to wake up only one,
64 # but you probably shouldn't rely on that.
66 # PROTOCOL
68 # Condition objects are used to block threads until "some condition" is
69 # true. E.g., a thread may wish to wait until a producer pumps out data
70 # for it to consume, or a server may wish to wait until someone requests
71 # its services, or perhaps a whole bunch of threads want to wait until a
72 # preceding pass over the data is complete. Early models for conditions
73 # relied on some other thread figuring out when a blocked thread's
74 # condition was true, and made the other thread responsible both for
75 # waking up the blocked thread and guaranteeing that it woke up with all
76 # data in a correct state. This proved to be very delicate in practice,
77 # and gave conditions a bad name in some circles.
79 # The POSIX model addresses these problems by making a thread responsible
80 # for ensuring that its own state is correct when it wakes, and relies
81 # on a rigid protocol to make this easy; so long as you stick to the
82 # protocol, POSIX conditions are easy to "get right":
84 # A) The thread that's waiting for some arbitrarily-complex condition
85 # (ACC) to become true does:
87 # condition.acquire()
88 # while not (code to evaluate the ACC):
89 # condition.wait()
90 # # That blocks the thread, *and* releases the lock. When a
91 # # condition.signal() happens, it will wake up some thread that
92 # # did a .wait, *and* acquire the lock again before .wait
93 # # returns.
94 # #
95 # # Because the lock is acquired at this point, the state used
96 # # in evaluating the ACC is frozen, so it's safe to go back &
97 # # reevaluate the ACC.
99 # # At this point, ACC is true, and the thread has the condition
100 # # locked.
101 # # So code here can safely muck with the shared state that
102 # # went into evaluating the ACC -- if it wants to.
103 # # When done mucking with the shared state, do
104 # condition.release()
106 # B) Threads that are mucking with shared state that may affect the
107 # ACC do:
109 # condition.acquire()
110 # # muck with shared state
111 # condition.release()
112 # if it's possible that ACC is true now:
113 # condition.signal() # or .broadcast()
115 # Note: You may prefer to put the "if" clause before the release().
116 # That's fine, but do note that anyone waiting on the signal will
117 # stay blocked until the release() is done (since acquiring the
118 # condition is part of what .wait() does before it returns).
120 # TRICK OF THE TRADE
122 # With simpler forms of conditions, it can be impossible to know when
123 # a thread that's supposed to do a .wait has actually done it. But
124 # because this form of condition releases a lock as _part_ of doing a
125 # wait, the state of that lock can be used to guarantee it.
127 # E.g., suppose thread A spawns thread B and later wants to wait for B to
128 # complete:
130 # In A: In B:
132 # B_done = condition() ... do work ...
133 # B_done.acquire() B_done.acquire(); B_done.release()
134 # spawn B B_done.signal()
135 # ... some time later ... ... and B exits ...
136 # B_done.wait()
138 # Because B_done was in the acquire'd state at the time B was spawned,
139 # B's attempt to acquire B_done can't succeed until A has done its
140 # B_done.wait() (which releases B_done). So B's B_done.signal() is
141 # guaranteed to be seen by the .wait(). Without the lock trick, B
142 # may signal before A .waits, and then A would wait forever.
144 # BARRIERS
146 # A barrier object is created via
147 # import this_module
148 # your_barrier = this_module.barrier(num_threads)
150 # Methods:
151 # .enter()
152 # the thread blocks until num_threads threads in all have done
153 # .enter(). Then the num_threads threads that .enter'ed resume,
154 # and the barrier resets to capture the next num_threads threads
155 # that .enter it.
157 # EVENTS
159 # An event object is created via
160 # import this_module
161 # your_event = this_module.event()
163 # An event has two states, `posted' and `cleared'. An event is
164 # created in the cleared state.
166 # Methods:
168 # .post()
169 # Put the event in the posted state, and resume all threads
170 # .wait'ing on the event (if any).
172 # .clear()
173 # Put the event in the cleared state.
175 # .is_posted()
176 # Returns 0 if the event is in the cleared state, or 1 if the event
177 # is in the posted state.
179 # .wait()
180 # If the event is in the posted state, returns immediately.
181 # If the event is in the cleared state, blocks the calling thread
182 # until the event is .post'ed by another thread.
184 # Note that an event, once posted, remains posted until explicitly
185 # cleared. Relative to conditions, this is both the strength & weakness
186 # of events. It's a strength because the .post'ing thread doesn't have to
187 # worry about whether the threads it's trying to communicate with have
188 # already done a .wait (a condition .signal is seen only by threads that
189 # do a .wait _prior_ to the .signal; a .signal does not persist). But
190 # it's a weakness because .clear'ing an event is error-prone: it's easy
191 # to mistakenly .clear an event before all the threads you intended to
192 # see the event get around to .wait'ing on it. But so long as you don't
193 # need to .clear an event, events are easy to use safely.
195 # SEMAPHORES
197 # A semaphore object is created via
198 # import this_module
199 # your_semaphore = this_module.semaphore(count=1)
201 # A semaphore has an integer count associated with it. The initial value
202 # of the count is specified by the optional argument (which defaults to
203 # 1) passed to the semaphore constructor.
205 # Methods:
207 # .p()
208 # If the semaphore's count is greater than 0, decrements the count
209 # by 1 and returns.
210 # Else if the semaphore's count is 0, blocks the calling thread
211 # until a subsequent .v() increases the count. When that happens,
212 # the count will be decremented by 1 and the calling thread resumed.
214 # .v()
215 # Increments the semaphore's count by 1, and wakes up a thread (if
216 # any) blocked by a .p(). It's an (detected) error for a .v() to
217 # increase the semaphore's count to a value larger than the initial
218 # count.
220 # MULTIPLE-READER SINGLE-WRITER LOCKS
222 # A mrsw lock is created via
223 # import this_module
224 # your_mrsw_lock = this_module.mrsw()
226 # This kind of lock is often useful with complex shared data structures.
227 # The object lets any number of "readers" proceed, so long as no thread
228 # wishes to "write". When a (one or more) thread declares its intention
229 # to "write" (e.g., to update a shared structure), all current readers
230 # are allowed to finish, and then a writer gets exclusive access; all
231 # other readers & writers are blocked until the current writer completes.
232 # Finally, if some thread is waiting to write and another is waiting to
233 # read, the writer takes precedence.
235 # Methods:
237 # .read_in()
238 # If no thread is writing or waiting to write, returns immediately.
239 # Else blocks until no thread is writing or waiting to write. So
240 # long as some thread has completed a .read_in but not a .read_out,
241 # writers are blocked.
243 # .read_out()
244 # Use sometime after a .read_in to declare that the thread is done
245 # reading. When all threads complete reading, a writer can proceed.
247 # .write_in()
248 # If no thread is writing (has completed a .write_in, but hasn't yet
249 # done a .write_out) or reading (similarly), returns immediately.
250 # Else blocks the calling thread, and threads waiting to read, until
251 # the current writer completes writing or all the current readers
252 # complete reading; if then more than one thread is waiting to
253 # write, one of them is allowed to proceed, but which one is not
254 # specified.
256 # .write_out()
257 # Use sometime after a .write_in to declare that the thread is done
258 # writing. Then if some other thread is waiting to write, it's
259 # allowed to proceed. Else all threads (if any) waiting to read are
260 # allowed to proceed.
262 # .write_to_read()
263 # Use instead of a .write_in to declare that the thread is done
264 # writing but wants to continue reading without other writers
265 # intervening. If there are other threads waiting to write, they
266 # are allowed to proceed only if the current thread calls
267 # .read_out; threads waiting to read are only allowed to proceed
268 # if there are are no threads waiting to write. (This is a
269 # weakness of the interface!)
271 import thread
273 class condition:
274 def __init__(self, lock=None):
275 # the lock actually used by .acquire() and .release()
276 if lock is None:
277 self.mutex = thread.allocate_lock()
278 else:
279 if hasattr(lock, 'acquire') and \
280 hasattr(lock, 'release'):
281 self.mutex = lock
282 else:
283 raise TypeError, 'condition constructor requires ' \
284 'a lock argument'
286 # lock used to block threads until a signal
287 self.checkout = thread.allocate_lock()
288 self.checkout.acquire()
290 # internal critical-section lock, & the data it protects
291 self.idlock = thread.allocate_lock()
292 self.id = 0
293 self.waiting = 0 # num waiters subject to current release
294 self.pending = 0 # num waiters awaiting next signal
295 self.torelease = 0 # num waiters to release
296 self.releasing = 0 # 1 iff release is in progress
298 def acquire(self):
299 self.mutex.acquire()
301 def release(self):
302 self.mutex.release()
304 def wait(self):
305 mutex, checkout, idlock = self.mutex, self.checkout, self.idlock
306 if not mutex.locked():
307 raise ValueError, \
308 "condition must be .acquire'd when .wait() invoked"
310 idlock.acquire()
311 myid = self.id
312 self.pending = self.pending + 1
313 idlock.release()
315 mutex.release()
317 while 1:
318 checkout.acquire(); idlock.acquire()
319 if myid < self.id:
320 break
321 checkout.release(); idlock.release()
323 self.waiting = self.waiting - 1
324 self.torelease = self.torelease - 1
325 if self.torelease:
326 checkout.release()
327 else:
328 self.releasing = 0
329 if self.waiting == self.pending == 0:
330 self.id = 0
331 idlock.release()
332 mutex.acquire()
334 def signal(self):
335 self.broadcast(1)
337 def broadcast(self, num = -1):
338 if num < -1:
339 raise ValueError, '.broadcast called with num %r' % (num,)
340 if num == 0:
341 return
342 self.idlock.acquire()
343 if self.pending:
344 self.waiting = self.waiting + self.pending
345 self.pending = 0
346 self.id = self.id + 1
347 if num == -1:
348 self.torelease = self.waiting
349 else:
350 self.torelease = min( self.waiting,
351 self.torelease + num )
352 if self.torelease and not self.releasing:
353 self.releasing = 1
354 self.checkout.release()
355 self.idlock.release()
357 class barrier:
358 def __init__(self, n):
359 self.n = n
360 self.togo = n
361 self.full = condition()
363 def enter(self):
364 full = self.full
365 full.acquire()
366 self.togo = self.togo - 1
367 if self.togo:
368 full.wait()
369 else:
370 self.togo = self.n
371 full.broadcast()
372 full.release()
374 class event:
375 def __init__(self):
376 self.state = 0
377 self.posted = condition()
379 def post(self):
380 self.posted.acquire()
381 self.state = 1
382 self.posted.broadcast()
383 self.posted.release()
385 def clear(self):
386 self.posted.acquire()
387 self.state = 0
388 self.posted.release()
390 def is_posted(self):
391 self.posted.acquire()
392 answer = self.state
393 self.posted.release()
394 return answer
396 def wait(self):
397 self.posted.acquire()
398 if not self.state:
399 self.posted.wait()
400 self.posted.release()
402 class semaphore:
403 def __init__(self, count=1):
404 if count <= 0:
405 raise ValueError, 'semaphore count %d; must be >= 1' % count
406 self.count = count
407 self.maxcount = count
408 self.nonzero = condition()
410 def p(self):
411 self.nonzero.acquire()
412 while self.count == 0:
413 self.nonzero.wait()
414 self.count = self.count - 1
415 self.nonzero.release()
417 def v(self):
418 self.nonzero.acquire()
419 if self.count == self.maxcount:
420 raise ValueError, '.v() tried to raise semaphore count above ' \
421 'initial value %r' % self.maxcount
422 self.count = self.count + 1
423 self.nonzero.signal()
424 self.nonzero.release()
426 class mrsw:
427 def __init__(self):
428 # critical-section lock & the data it protects
429 self.rwOK = thread.allocate_lock()
430 self.nr = 0 # number readers actively reading (not just waiting)
431 self.nw = 0 # number writers either waiting to write or writing
432 self.writing = 0 # 1 iff some thread is writing
434 # conditions
435 self.readOK = condition(self.rwOK) # OK to unblock readers
436 self.writeOK = condition(self.rwOK) # OK to unblock writers
438 def read_in(self):
439 self.rwOK.acquire()
440 while self.nw:
441 self.readOK.wait()
442 self.nr = self.nr + 1
443 self.rwOK.release()
445 def read_out(self):
446 self.rwOK.acquire()
447 if self.nr <= 0:
448 raise ValueError, \
449 '.read_out() invoked without an active reader'
450 self.nr = self.nr - 1
451 if self.nr == 0:
452 self.writeOK.signal()
453 self.rwOK.release()
455 def write_in(self):
456 self.rwOK.acquire()
457 self.nw = self.nw + 1
458 while self.writing or self.nr:
459 self.writeOK.wait()
460 self.writing = 1
461 self.rwOK.release()
463 def write_out(self):
464 self.rwOK.acquire()
465 if not self.writing:
466 raise ValueError, \
467 '.write_out() invoked without an active writer'
468 self.writing = 0
469 self.nw = self.nw - 1
470 if self.nw:
471 self.writeOK.signal()
472 else:
473 self.readOK.broadcast()
474 self.rwOK.release()
476 def write_to_read(self):
477 self.rwOK.acquire()
478 if not self.writing:
479 raise ValueError, \
480 '.write_to_read() invoked without an active writer'
481 self.writing = 0
482 self.nw = self.nw - 1
483 self.nr = self.nr + 1
484 if not self.nw:
485 self.readOK.broadcast()
486 self.rwOK.release()
488 # The rest of the file is a test case, that runs a number of parallelized
489 # quicksorts in parallel. If it works, you'll get about 600 lines of
490 # tracing output, with a line like
491 # test passed! 209 threads created in all
492 # as the last line. The content and order of preceding lines will
493 # vary across runs.
495 def _new_thread(func, *args):
496 global TID
497 tid.acquire(); id = TID = TID+1; tid.release()
498 io.acquire(); alive.append(id); \
499 print 'starting thread', id, '--', len(alive), 'alive'; \
500 io.release()
501 thread.start_new_thread( func, (id,) + args )
503 def _qsort(tid, a, l, r, finished):
504 # sort a[l:r]; post finished when done
505 io.acquire(); print 'thread', tid, 'qsort', l, r; io.release()
506 if r-l > 1:
507 pivot = a[l]
508 j = l+1 # make a[l:j] <= pivot, and a[j:r] > pivot
509 for i in range(j, r):
510 if a[i] <= pivot:
511 a[j], a[i] = a[i], a[j]
512 j = j + 1
513 a[l], a[j-1] = a[j-1], pivot
515 l_subarray_sorted = event()
516 r_subarray_sorted = event()
517 _new_thread(_qsort, a, l, j-1, l_subarray_sorted)
518 _new_thread(_qsort, a, j, r, r_subarray_sorted)
519 l_subarray_sorted.wait()
520 r_subarray_sorted.wait()
522 io.acquire(); print 'thread', tid, 'qsort done'; \
523 alive.remove(tid); io.release()
524 finished.post()
526 def _randarray(tid, a, finished):
527 io.acquire(); print 'thread', tid, 'randomizing array'; \
528 io.release()
529 for i in range(1, len(a)):
530 wh.acquire(); j = randint(0,i); wh.release()
531 a[i], a[j] = a[j], a[i]
532 io.acquire(); print 'thread', tid, 'randomizing done'; \
533 alive.remove(tid); io.release()
534 finished.post()
536 def _check_sort(a):
537 if a != range(len(a)):
538 raise ValueError, ('a not sorted', a)
540 def _run_one_sort(tid, a, bar, done):
541 # randomize a, and quicksort it
542 # for variety, all the threads running this enter a barrier
543 # at the end, and post `done' after the barrier exits
544 io.acquire(); print 'thread', tid, 'randomizing', a; \
545 io.release()
546 finished = event()
547 _new_thread(_randarray, a, finished)
548 finished.wait()
550 io.acquire(); print 'thread', tid, 'sorting', a; io.release()
551 finished.clear()
552 _new_thread(_qsort, a, 0, len(a), finished)
553 finished.wait()
554 _check_sort(a)
556 io.acquire(); print 'thread', tid, 'entering barrier'; \
557 io.release()
558 bar.enter()
559 io.acquire(); print 'thread', tid, 'leaving barrier'; \
560 io.release()
561 io.acquire(); alive.remove(tid); io.release()
562 bar.enter() # make sure they've all removed themselves from alive
563 ## before 'done' is posted
564 bar.enter() # just to be cruel
565 done.post()
567 def test():
568 global TID, tid, io, wh, randint, alive
569 import random
570 randint = random.randint
572 TID = 0 # thread ID (1, 2, ...)
573 tid = thread.allocate_lock() # for changing TID
574 io = thread.allocate_lock() # for printing, and 'alive'
575 wh = thread.allocate_lock() # for calls to random
576 alive = [] # IDs of active threads
578 NSORTS = 5
579 arrays = []
580 for i in range(NSORTS):
581 arrays.append( range( (i+1)*10 ) )
583 bar = barrier(NSORTS)
584 finished = event()
585 for i in range(NSORTS):
586 _new_thread(_run_one_sort, arrays[i], bar, finished)
587 finished.wait()
589 print 'all threads done, and checking results ...'
590 if alive:
591 raise ValueError, ('threads still alive at end', alive)
592 for i in range(NSORTS):
593 a = arrays[i]
594 if len(a) != (i+1)*10:
595 raise ValueError, ('length of array', i, 'screwed up')
596 _check_sort(a)
598 print 'test passed!', TID, 'threads created in all'
600 if __name__ == '__main__':
601 test()
603 # end of module