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<HR><H2>Multithreaded ColdC...</H2>
<H3>daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sat Sep  9 22:26:56 1995
)</H3>
<PRE>
Date: Sat, 9 Sep 1995 20:26:09 -0600
From: 869683 Gillespie Brandon James &lt;brandon@smithfield.declab.usu.edu&gt;
To: coldstuff@MIT.EDU

I have been sketching up some notes on how I will implement
multh-threading in ColdC.  The following are some of these notes, as I
would appreciate evaluation and comments, if one can come up with them.

-Brandon Gillespie-

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
** Multithreaded ColdC **

Modifies: pause()
Changes:  *task* operators to *thread* operators (task_id() -&gt; thread_id())
Adds:     sync () {}, atomic {}, fork() and synchronized/atomic methods.

* Overview

A frame is the execution state of a ColdC method.  The current frame is
only relative to the current method, beginning execution within a new
frame uses a new frame context.  ColdC ticks are contained within each
frame, rather than in a global context.  A thread is a stack of methods
executing in relation to each other.

* Outline

Preemptive multi-threading will be based upon either CPU ticks or ColdC
ticks (have not decided which).  CPU ticks give the advantage of also
taking native functions into consideration, but cause tasks to be
preempted faster on a loaded machine.

When a certain threshold has been reached, the task will be suspended
and added to a list of preempted tasks, to continue execution at a later
time.  Being preempted also refreshes the current frame's ticks.

* Synchronizing

Synchronization is the act of a thread gaining absolute control of an
object.  Only one thread can be synchronized with an object at any given
time.  There are two ways of synchronizing with an object.  First, one
can implicitly synchronize the method with an object by adding the
synchronized method flag.  Or, the block control 'sync' can be used,
which accepts a list of objects and contains a block of code to execute
while synchronized to the object(s), such as:

sync (this()) {
    while (times) {
        .call_synced_method();
        times = times - 1;
    }
}

When a thread is synchronized with an object, it has full read/write
ability to any object variables it can access.  Synchronized threads
can be preempted, just like unsynchronized threads (preemptiveness is
defined by the atomic state).

Furthermore, the synchronization is cooperative througout the thread.
If a synchronized frame calls a method which must be synchronized, it is
not blocked.

If a synchronize call is made, and the thread is unable to synchronize
with the object, it may be blocked (if it is not atomic).  Blocked threads
are suspended, and added to a list for that object.  When the
current thread synchronizing to the object releases it's hold, the first
thread in the blocked list is executed.  If a thread is blocked, and is
atomic, the error ~blocked is thrown.

* Atomic code blocks

If a frame is preempted blocked or suspended while it is set as atomic,
the error ~preempted, ~blocked or ~suspended is thrown.  The atomic
state propogated through subsequent frames in the thread, so that if a
frame becomes atomic, while it is atomic any frames further down the
thread from it become atomic.

Frames become atomic by either setting the atomic method flag, or by
using the block statement 'atomic' in ColdC code.  Examples:

atomic .do_this();

atomic {
    .do_this();
    .do_that();
}

* Function pause()

pause() gives the ability to cooperatively multh-thread.  It will have
an optional flag which can be passed (1 or 0), if it is true (1) then
pause() will act nicely, if it is false (default, 0) it will not act
nicely.

When pause() is called it will instantly preempt the thread, unless it
is within an atomic block.  If it is within an atomic block and is a
nice pause, the thread will continue to run until it either runs out of
frame ticks or it reaches the end of the atomic block.  If it runs out
of ticks, the usual error is thrown (~ticks).  If it reaches the end of
the atomic block it instantly preempts.

* Function fork() 

fork() splits a thread.  When called it splits the thread into two exact
frames.  The function fork() has a logical expression value of 0 to the
child process, and the value is the forked thread id for the parent
thread.

An optional delay argument may be supplied to fork, defaulting to 0.
The delay specifies how long to wait before beginning execution of the
child thread.

Notes: possibly have a MAX_FORK for each thread; possibly have a method
flag of 'fork', where if that method is called it starts its own
execution thread, rather than becoming a part of the current thread.
The logical expression value of a forked method is it's thread_id.
</PRE>
