What are the differences between atomic operations and locks in C?

What are the differences between atomic operations and locks in C?

Atomic operations are low-level operations that complete in a single step, ensuring data integrity without locks. In contrast, locks are higher-level mechanisms that prevent multiple threads from accessing shared resources simultaneously.

Can you give an example of an atomic operation?

Sure! An example of an atomic operation in C is the __atomic_fetch_add function, which atomically adds a value to a variable.

When should I use locks instead of atomic operations?

Use locks when you need to protect complex data structures or multiple related variables, as atomic operations are best for simple, single-variable updates.

Are there any performance implications of using locks?

Yes, locks can introduce overhead due to context switching and potential deadlocks, while atomic operations are generally faster but limited in scope.

What are some common pitfalls when using atomic operations?

Common pitfalls include assuming atomic operations are always sufficient for thread safety and not considering memory ordering issues.