What are the differences between mutex and condition variables?

What are the differences between mutex and condition variables?

Mutexes are used to protect shared resources from concurrent access, while condition variables are used for signaling between threads.

Can you explain how mutexes work?

Sure! A mutex allows only one thread to access a resource at a time, preventing race conditions.

And what about condition variables?

Condition variables enable threads to wait for certain conditions to be met before proceeding, allowing for better synchronization.

When should I use a mutex instead of a condition variable?

Use a mutex when you need to protect shared data, and a condition variable when you need to wait for a specific condition.