What are atomic operations in C++?

What are atomic operations in C++?

Atomic operations in C++ are low-level operations that complete in a single step relative to other threads, ensuring data integrity.

Why are atomic operations important in multithreading?

They prevent race conditions by ensuring that a variable is updated by only one thread at a time, maintaining consistency.

Can you give an example of an atomic operation in C++?

Sure! You can use std::atomic<int> counter; to create an atomic integer. Operations like counter.fetch_add(1); are atomic.

Are there any performance considerations with atomic operations?

Yes, while atomic operations are safer, they can be slower than non-atomic operations due to the overhead of ensuring thread safety.