boost_1_45_0/libs/signals2/doc/reference/mutex.xml

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<header name="boost/signals2/mutex.hpp" last-revision="$Date: 2007-03-06 16:51:55 -0500 (Tue, 06 Mar 2007) $">
  <using-namespace name="boost::signals2"/>
  <using-namespace name="boost"/>
  <namespace name="boost">
    <namespace name="signals2">
      <class name="mutex">
        <purpose>A header-only mutex which implements the Lockable concept of Boost.Thread.</purpose>

        <description>
          <para>
            The <code>mutex</code> class implements the <code>Lockable</code>
            concept of Boost.Thread, and is the default <code>Mutex</code> template parameter
            type for signals.
            If boost has detected thread support in your compiler, the <code>mutex</code>
            class will map to a CRITICAL_SECTION on Windows
            or a pthread_mutex on POSIX.  If thread support is not detected, <code>mutex</code>
            will behave similarly to a <classname>dummy_mutex</classname>.
            The header file <code>boost/config.hpp</code>
            defines the macro <code>BOOST_HAS_THREADS</code> when boost detects threading support.
            The user may globally disable thread support
            in boost by defining BOOST_DISABLE_THREADS before any boost header files are included.
          </para>
          <para>
            If you are already using the Boost.Thread library, you may prefer to use its
            <classname>boost::mutex</classname> class instead as the mutex type for your signals.
          </para>
          <para>
            You may wish to use a thread-unsafe signal, if
            the signal is only used by a single thread.  In that case, you may prefer to
            use the <classname>signals2::dummy_mutex</classname> class as the <code>Mutex</code>
            template type for your signal.
          </para>
        </description>
        <access name="public">
          <method name="lock">
            <type>void</type>
            <description>
              <para>Locks the mutex.
              </para>
            </description>
          </method>
          <method name="try_lock">
            <type>bool</type>
            <description>
              <para>Makes a non-blocking attempt to lock the mutex.
              </para>
            </description>
            <returns><para><code>true</code> on success.</para></returns>
          </method>
          <method name="unlock">
            <type>void</type>
            <description>
              <para>Unlocks the mutex.
              </para>
            </description>
          </method>
        </access>
      </class>
    </namespace>
  </namespace>
</header>