How can I avoid deadlocks in C++?

How can I avoid deadlocks in C++?

To avoid deadlocks in C++, you can follow several strategies such as using a lock hierarchy, avoiding nested locks, and using timeout mechanisms.

What is a lock hierarchy?

A lock hierarchy is a predefined order in which locks must be acquired. By always acquiring locks in the same order, you can prevent circular wait conditions that lead to deadlocks.

Can you give an example of using a lock hierarchy?

Sure! If you have two locks, A and B, always acquire lock A before lock B in your code. This way, you avoid situations where one thread holds lock A and waits for lock B while another thread holds lock B and waits for lock A.

What about using smart pointers?

Using smart pointers can help manage resource ownership and lifetimes, but they don't directly prevent deadlocks. However, they can reduce the complexity of memory management, which can indirectly help in avoiding deadlocks.