Concurrency#

This library provides various concurrency utilities for use with Dylan programs.

Basic Abstractions#

The abstractions in this library are somewhat inspired by javax.concurrency.

Executors#

Executors perform work that is requested from them asynchronously.

Currently, all executors use their own private threads.

See: <executor>, <fixed-thread-executor>, <thread-executor>, and <single-thread-executor>.

Queues#

Queues are job-streams that can have items enqueued and subsequently dequeued.

These form the synchronization mechanism for thread executors.

See: <queue>, <locked-queue>.

Work#

Work objects represent something to be done.

See: <work>, <locked-work>.

Library Reference#

Executors#

<executor> Abstract Class#
Superclasses:

<object>

Init-Keywords:
  • name

Operations:

<thread-executor> Abstract Class#
Superclasses:

<executor>

Init-Keywords:
  • queue

Operations:

<fixed-thread-executor> Class#
Superclasses:

<thread-executor>

Init-Keywords:
  • thread-count

<single-thread-executor> Class#
Superclasses:

<thread-executor>

executor-name Generic function#
Signature:

executor-name (executor) => (name)

Parameters:
Values:
executor-request Generic function#

Request that this executor do some work.

Signature:

executor-request (executor work) => ()

Parameters:
executor-request(<function>) Method#

A convenience method that converts the given function into a <work> object. The function must not have any required arguments.

Signature:

executor-request (executor function) => ()

Parameters:
executor-request(<work>) Method#
Signature:

executor-request (executor work) => ()

Parameters:
executor-shutdown Generic function#
Signature:

executor-shutdown (executor #key join? drain?) => ()

Parameters:

Queues#

<queue> Abstract Class#
Superclasses:

<object>

Init-Keywords:
  • name

Discussion:

This is a base class for specific implementations that modify queueing behaviour.

Operations:

<locked-queue> Class#

Locked multi-reader multi-writer queue

Superclasses:

<queue>

Discussion:

Locked multi-reader multi-writer queue

A notification is used for synchronization. The associated lock is used for all queue state.

Locked queues can be STOPPED so that no further work will be accepted and processing will end once all previously submitted work has been finished.

After stopping, all further enqueue operations will signal <queue-stopped>.

Dequeue operations will continue until the queue has been drained, whereupon they will also be signalled.

Locked queues can be INTERRUPTED so that no further work will be accepted or begun. Work that has already been started will continue.

Interrupting implies stopping, so enqueue operations will be signalled <queue-stopped>.

Dequeue operations will signal <queue-interrupt>.

Operations:

dequeue Generic function#

Dequeue the next available item from the queue.

Signature:

dequeue (queue) => (object)

Parameters:
  • queue – An instance of <queue>.

Values:
Discussion:

Dequeue the next available item from the queue.

May signal <queue-interrupt> or <queue-stopped> when the queue has reached the respective state.

enqueue Generic function#

Enqueue a work item onto the queue.

Signature:

enqueue (queue object) => ()

Parameters:
Discussion:

Enqueue a work item onto the queue.

May signal <queue-stopped> when the queue no longer accepts work.

queue-name Generic function#

Returns the name of the queue.

Signature:

queue-name (queue) => (name?)

Parameters:
  • queue – An instance of <queue>.

Values:
  • name? – An instance of false-or(<string>).

interrupt-queue Generic function#

Interrupts the queue, abandoning submitted work.

Signature:

interrupt-queue (queue) => ()

Parameters:
Discussion:

Interrupts the queue, abandoning submitted work.

Submitters will be signalled <queue-stopped> in enqueue if they try to submit further work.

Receivers will be signalled <queue-interrupt> at the first dequeue operation they perform.

stop-queue Generic function#

Stops the queue so that submitted work can still continue.

Signature:

stop-queue (queue) => ()

Parameters:
Discussion:

Stops the queue so that submitted work can still continue.

Submitters will be signalled <queue-stopped> in enqueue if they try to submit further work.

Receivers will be signalled <queue-stopped> in dequeue once the queue has been drained.

<queue-condition> Abstract Class#

Conditions related to <locked-queue> operations.

Superclasses:

<condition>

Init-Keywords:
  • queue

  • thread

<queue-interrupt> Class#

Signalled when the queue has been interrupted.

Superclasses:

<queue-condition>

<queue-stopped> Class#

Signalled when the queue has been stopped.

Superclasses:

<queue-condition>

queue-condition-queue Generic function#
Signature:

queue-condition-queue (condition) => (queue)

Parameters:
Values:
  • queue – An instance of <queue>.

queue-condition-thread Generic function#
Signature:

queue-condition-thread (condition) => (thread)

Parameters:
Values:

Work#

<work> Class#
Superclasses:

<object>

Init-Keywords:
  • function – A function to perform some work. The function must not have any required arguments.

Operations:

<locked-work> Class#
Superclasses:

<work>

Operations:

work-finished? Generic function#
Signature:

work-finished? (work) => (finished?)

Parameters:
  • work – An instance of <work>.

Values:
work-perform Generic function#
Signature:

work-perform (work) => ()

Parameters:
  • work – An instance of <work>.

work-started? Generic function#
Signature:

work-started? (work) => (started?)

Parameters:
  • work – An instance of <work>.

Values:
work-thread Generic function#

Return the thread on which the work was executed.

Signature:

work-thread (work) => (thread)

Parameters:
  • work – An instance of <work>.

Values:
  • thread – An instance of <thread>.

work-wait Generic function#

Wait for a work item to reach the given state. Valid states are $work-started and $work-finished.

Signature:

work-wait (work state) => ()

Parameters:
$work-started Constant#

Used with work-wait to indicate that you want to wait until work has started executing.

Type:

<work-state>

See also: $work-finished

$work-finished Constant#

Used with work-wait to indicate that you want to wait until work has finished executing.

Type:

<work-state>

See also: $work-finished