What are some examples of using threads in C++?

What are some examples of using threads in C++?

In C++, you can use the <thread> library to create and manage threads. For example, you can create a simple thread like this:

#include <iostream>
#include <thread>

void hello() {
    std::cout << "Hello from thread!" << std::endl;
}

int main() {
    std::thread t(hello);
    t.join(); // Wait for the thread to finish
    return 0;
}

This code creates a thread that runs the hello function.

Can you explain how to pass arguments to a thread?

Certainly! You can pass arguments to a thread by using the second parameter of the std::thread constructor. Here's an example:

#include <iostream>
#include <thread>

void printNumber(int n) {
    std::cout << "Number: " << n << std::endl;
}

int main() {
    std::thread t(printNumber, 5);
    t.join();
    return 0;
}

In this case, the number 5 is passed to the printNumber function.

What about using mutexes for thread safety?

Great question! To ensure thread safety when multiple threads access shared data, you can use std::mutex. Here's an example:

#include <iostream>
#include <thread>
#include <mutex>

std::mutex mtx;
int sharedCounter = 0;

void increment() {
    mtx.lock();
    ++sharedCounter;
    mtx.unlock();
}

int main() {
    std::thread t1(increment);
    std::thread t2(increment);
    t1.join();
    t2.join();
    std::cout << "Final counter: " << sharedCounter << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

This ensures that only one thread can modify sharedCounter at a time.