std::atomic_thread_fence

From cppreference.com
< cpp‎ | atomic
Defined in header <atomic>
extern "C" void atomic_thread_fence( std::memory_order order );
(since C++11)

Establishes memory synchronization ordering of non-atomic and relaxed atomic accesses, as instructed by order, without an associated atomic operation. For example, all non-atomic and relaxed atomic stores that happen before a std::memory_order_release fence in thread A will be synchronized with non-atomic and relaxed atomic loads from the same locations made in thread B after an std::memory_order_acquire fence if there exist atomic operations X and Y, both operating on some atomic object M, such that the fence in thread A is sequenced before X, X modifies M, Y is sequenced before the fence in thread B, and Y reads the value written by X or a value written by any side effect in the hypothetical release sequence X would head if it were a release operation..

Contents

[edit] Parameters

order - the memory ordering executed by this fence

[edit] Return value

(none)

[edit] Exceptions

noexcept specification:  
noexcept
  

[edit] Notes

atomic_thread_fence imposes different synchronization constraints than an atomic store operation with the same std::memory_order. While an atomic store-release operation prevents all preceding writes from moving past the store-release, an atomic_thread_fence with memory_order_release ordering prevents all preceding writes from moving past all subsequent stores.

[edit] Examples

Scan an array of mailboxes, and process only the ones intended for us, without unnecessary synchronization.

const int num_mailboxes = 32;
std::atomic<int> mailbox[num_mailboxes];
 
// The writer threads update non-atomic shared data and then update mailbox[i] as follows
std::atomic_store_explicit(&mailbox[i], std::memory_order_release);
 
// Reader thread needs to check all mailbox[i], but only needs to sync with one
for (int i = 0; i < num_mailboxes; ++i) {
    if (std::atomic_load_explicit(&mailbox[i],  std::memory_order_relaxed) == my_id) {
        std::atomic_thread_fence(std::memory_order_acquire); // synchronize with just one writer
        do_work(i); // guaranteed to observe everything done in the writer thread before
                    // the atomic_store_explicit()
    }
 }


[edit] See also

(C++11)
defines memory ordering constraints for the given atomic operation
(typedef)
fence between a thread and a signal handler executed in the same thread
(function)
C documentation for atomic_thread_fence